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Bishop Kelly High School
School Info
Conference: 4A Southern Idaho Conference
Classification: 4A
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Head Coach: Tim Brennan
Years as Head Coach: 20th season
Previous Experience: 10 years as assistant coach at Weiser; three years head coach West Mifflin (Pittsburgh, PA); one year head coach at Caldwell
Record Last Year: 10-2
State Titles: 1994, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014
Assistant Coaches:
George Gamber
Jack Parker
Vince Derig
Eric McClure
Ryan Brennan
Chris Martineau
Nate Borchert
Jeff Carpenter
Kip Crofts
Brian Mints
Quane Kenyon
Kate Harbacheck (Athletic Trainer).
Returning Players:
Travis Allumbaugh (Sr, DB)
Ivan Torrez (Sr, RB)
Joe Sarabia (Sr, LB)
Jake Jorgensen (Sr, 12)
Jon Baumgardner (Sr, RB)
Caden Finkley (Sr, OL/DL)
Harris Irwin (Sr, OL/DL)
Marcon Galindo (Sr, DL)
Returning Players with Honors:
Caden Finkley (1st Team All-State)
Jon Baumgartner (All-SIC)
Harris Irwin (All-SIC)
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Photo By: Loren Orr - #35 Jon Baumgardner
“Key Players” lost from last year:
Tyler Allumbaugh (QB)
Will Heffner (WR)
Conner Charles (DB)
Vincent Galindo (ILB/RB)
Sam Mallane (OL/DL)
Robbie Rebholtz (LB)
Incoming “impact” players:
Bryce Mers (Jr, QB)
Brad Stewart (Sr, OL/DL)
Mark Brinager (Sr, OL/DL)
Vince Sengelmann (Jr, WR)
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Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike (@willhoenike)
Let’s go back to the year 2004.
Facebook launched. “Napoleon Dynamite” put Preston, Idaho, on the map. The Da Vinci Code topped the New York Times’ best-seller list. And Bishop Kelly defeated Pocatello, 40-8, for the Idaho 4A state championship.
The Knights, from Boise, won the state title again in 2005. And 2010. And 2013. And again in 2014, edging Blackfoot in a terrific football game, 14-10, at Holt Arena in Pocatello.
Since that Knights’ win over Pocatello in 2004, Bishop Kelly and Blackfoot have combined to win nine of the past eleven 4A state championships in the 4A classification. Only Pocatello (2006) and Hillcrest (2008) have interrupted the two-team run of dominance.
Head Coach Tim Brennan will have to replace do-everything 4A State Player of the Year Vincent Galindo, who led the team with 17 touchdowns last season. The Knights also lost All-State performers Tyler Allumbaugh, Conner Charles and Sam Mallane.
But it’s not a new task for Bishop Kelly. You don’t win five of eleven state championships without replacing quality players.
The Knights have one returning All-State player, lineman Caden Finkley. The senior anchors a defensive line that returns three starters – Finkley, Harris Irwin and Marcon Galindo - from a defense that allowed just 15 points per game and three yards per carry to its opponents last season. It’s a defensive front that also welcomes back senior Brad Stewart, who missed last season with an injury, and returning starters Joe Sarabia and Jake Jorgensen at linebacker.
Easy to see why Brennan lists the front eight of his defense as a strength of his team. Overall, defensively, Bishop Kelly held its opponents to 240 yards per game during its 10-2 campaign in 2014.
Offensively, Bishop Kelly will likely lean on the run game to protect Bryce Mers, the junior who is expected to take over at quarterback for the Knights. Brennan and his coaching staff have the pieces in place to do that, with Finkley and Irwin playing up front with Stweart and Mark Brinager. The team also returns running backs Ivan Torrez and Jon Buamgardner, who combined for over 600 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground last season. Baumgardner also added ten receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield in the passing game as well.
Part of the equation for success in Bishop Kelly’s program has been Brennan’s staff, which includes long-time defensive coordinator George Gamber along with former varsity head coaches Jack Parker, Nate Borchart and Kip Crofts.
The Knights, back-to-back state champions, open the season at home against Bishop Manogue out of Reno, Nevada, on Saturday, August 29 and Nick Ysursa Field.
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