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Gooding High School
School Info
Conference: 3A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference
Classification: 3A
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Head Coach: Cameron Anderson
Years as Head Coach: 6th season
Previous Experience: 3 Years as Head Coach
Record Last Year: 9-1
State Titles: 1984, 1985
Assistant Coaches:
Jerry Diehl
Ed Pinger
Tyrone Hutchings
Adrian Celaya
Kelly Jennings
Chuck Pavkov
Brodie Parrott
Returning Players:
Wyatt Williams (Sr, QB)
Bryson Comstock (Jr. WR)
Chris Harbaugh (Jr, WR)
Jake Faulkner (Sr, TE)
Darwin Lenker (Sr, OL)
Derik Wright (Jr, OL)
Dylan Reeves (Jr, RB)
Clancy Cockerham (Sr, DB)
Tyler Visser (Jr, DB)
Spencer Furgeson (Sr, DB)
Walker Mink (Sr, DL)
Brandon Johnson (Sr, DL)
Returning Players with Honors:
Wyatt Williams (2nd-Team All State)
Clancy Cockerham (1st-Team All State)
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Photo By: Patty Theurer - #1 Wyatt Williams
“Key Players” lost from last year:
RB Josh Finley (3X All-State)
Landunn Koyle (2nd-Team All State)
Derek Higson (All-Great Basin TE and LB)
Incoming “impact” players:
Mike Needham (Soph, RB)
Sammie FUnkhouser (Soph, RB)
Andrew Carter (Soph, OL)
Kolton Adkinson (Soph, OL)
Paul Inglin (Soph, OL)
Ruger Jennings (Soph, LB)
Jed Hilt (Jr, LB)
Shawn Pamplona (Soph, DB/WR)
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Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike (@willhoenike)
Gooding Senators’ head coach Cameron Anderson hopes he’s not getting his troops all dressed up this season with no place to go.
“Our opening night is also a huge event,” Anderson said of the Aug. 28 matchup with New Plymouth. “As the grand re-opening of our stadium.”
The Senators will welcome back any former player for the game, which will show off a newly-updated Keller Field to the world. Anderson and the Senators hope that it is just the first step in another successful campaign in the town 30 miles northwest of Twin Falls, off of Interstate 84.
“This town is football-crazy,” Anderson said of the home fans. “The community just gave enough money in donations to update our whole stadium.”
And the shiny, new look to Keller Field should play host to another solid football team as Anderson welcomes back All-State defensive back Clancy Cockerham and second-team All-State quarterback Wyatt Williams, both back for their senior seasons after exceptional junior campaigns - Cockerham intercepted eight passes and Williams accounted for 3,500 all-purpose yards and more than 40 touchdowns.
In all, the Senators are expected to return seven starters on offense and six on defense from a team that won nine games last season and won five regular-season games by more than 50 points.
On offense, Williams has three prime pass-catching targets back in Bryson Comstock, Chris Harbaugh and Jake Faulkner. The Senators’ offensive line, according to Anderson, may be the biggest the school has seen, led by 285-pound senior Darwin Lenker and 265-pound junior Derik Wright. The team will continue to employ a running back-by-committee, with Mike Needham, Sammie Funkhouser and Dylan Reeves all getting carries.
Defense should once again be the team’s calling card. In 2014, only one team – 4A Wood River – managed to score more than 28 points against Gooding. Seniors Brandon Johnson and Walker Mink set the tone up front with the entire secondary back from last season. Jed Pierson led the team in tackles to go along with Cockerham’s shut-down ability at corner. Spencer Ferguson will patrol the edge, Anderson says, as a safety.
“We will be young and inexperienced at linebacker with young and talented guys that just haven’t been tested yet,” Anderson concluded. “Our defense was one of the top defenses in the state last year, just need that to continue.”
The Senators play three of their first four games on the road. After the grand re-opening against New Plymouth, Gooding travels to Nampa Christian, Wendell and 4A Skyview before perennial state power Shelley comes to Gooding on Sept. 25.
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