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Deary High School
School Info
Conference: 1AD2 District 1-2 White Star League
Classification: 1A D2
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Head Coach: Doug Henderson
Years as Head Coach: 5th Season
Previous Experience: 15th season overall at Deary
Record Last Year: 7-3
State Titles: 1993, 1995, 1997
Assistant Coaches:
Ryan Kirk
Returning Players:
RB/DE Tyler Anderson (SR)
TE/LB Kael Stelck (SR)
QB Morgan Beyer (SR)
RB/DB Kaden Jones (SR)
OL/DL Andrew Trueman (SR)
OL/DL Hunter Vallem (SR)
TE/LB Seth Winter (JR)
RB/DB Jalen Kirk (SOPH)
Returning Players with Honors:
Tyler Anderson, Kael Stelck, Seth Winter, Morgan Beyer, Kaden Jones – each named All-White Star League
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“Key Players” lost from last year:
TE/OLB Wyatt Younger
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Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike (@willhoenike)
When last we saw the Deary Mustangs and Kendrick Tigers on the field together, they were battling together, as a co-op, for a berth in the 1A state baseball tournament.
When they’re next on the field together, they could be battling for a berth in the 1A Division 2 state football playoffs … except against each other.
“It’s our last game of the year and playoff berths could be on the line,” Deary head coach Doug Henderson said of the matchup with Kendrick. “We have kids that co-op together in baseball and it’s the game that the kids look forward to the most.”
The Mustangs are coming off of a seven-win season and return five All-White Star conference honoreers – RB/DE Tyler Anderson, TE/LB Kael Stelck, TE/LB Seth Winter, QB Morgan Beyer and RB/DB Kaden Jones.
That’s the “good.” The flip side of the coin, the challenge that will face this team, is a small junior class that leads to limited depth for the Mustangs.
“With only one junior on the team, our sophomore class is going to need to fill out our depth,” Henderson said. “If we have upper classmen who get injured, we will look to the sophomores to help us get through.”
Beyer will trigger the offense behind returning senior offensive linement Andrew Trueman and Hunter Vallem. Jones and sophomore Jalen Kirk will get carries out of the backfield along with Anderson while Winter and Stelck will provide the primary pass-catching targets when Deary takes to the air.
“We want to be diverse this year,” Henderson said. “Our running game has been so solid that we ride it a little too often. Our main focus is going to be forcing ourselves to pass the ball all over the field from different sets.”
The team’s calling card last season was defense – during a six-game winning streak that pushed the Mustangs towards the top of the conference, Deary allowed 12 total points and pitched five shutouts.
“We take great pride in the defensive side of the ball,” Henderson said. “Our kids love playing defense and we have seven defensive starters returning from last year’s team.”
That will go a long way in letting the Mustangs compete for a playoff spot and a possible deep run in the 1A Division 2 state playoffs. Is it enough for the team to challenge for the school’s first football state championship since 1997? Well, there is that saying about defense winning championships …
“The general focus of our defense is to be solid tacklers, play team defense and be fast,” Henderson told IdahoSports.com. “We should have great overall speed on the defensive side of the ball.”
It will be put to the test early as the Mustangs open with two tough contests against 1A Division 1 foes in Potlatch, who scored 90 points in a game last season, and perennial toughie Genesee.
If the Mustangs can stay healthy, the eyes of two towns – friends becoming foes – fall on Deary at Kendrick on October 30 with a possible state playoff berth on the line.
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