Photo By Patty Theurer - #6 Wyatt Castagneto
Written by Brandon Hill
The Glenns Ferry Pilots will start anew behind second-year Head Coach Lonnie Funkhouser.
The Pilots, who faltered in the 1ADI Snake River Conference, lost its starting quarterback to graduation in Tanner Martinez. In his place, Funkhouser will call up junior Wyatt Castagneto to help lead the offense, according to MagicValley.com.
A breath of offensive fresh air will be a welcome sight to Pilot fans, as Glenns Ferry struggled to reach the end zone in 2019, ranking fifth out of six for offensive production in its conference.
The Pilots’ schedule was far from easy last season, with losses tallied up to playoff contenders and conference powerhouses. Glenns Ferry suffered through a four-game skid, facing Horseshoe Bend, Garden Valley, Lost Rivers and Grace. After gaining a pair of wins against Valley and Challis, defeating the latter 72-14, the Pilots again fell behind in the conference race, falling to Raft River 50-6 and Oakley 58-12 to close out the regular season.
According to MagicValley.com, the Pilots and Funkhouser plan to implement a run-heavy offense, featuring Castagneto and senior Allan Deleon. On defense, Castegneto will also fill in at linebacker, according to MagicValley.com.
Funkhouser, a defensive-minded coach, will look to improve a Pilot squad that allowed 36 points per game last year, fourth-best in the conference. But against teams like Butte County and Oakley, two teams who averaged above 40 points per contest last year, creating an effective defensive strategy will be no easy task.
That challenge becomes even greater considering Lighthouse Christian, last year’s 1ADII state champion, moves up to the 1ADI ranks in the SRC, providing even more firepower in an already loaded conference.
The Pilots’ season begins and ends with the Lions, as Glenns Ferry is set to kick off against Lighthouse Christian Aug. 28 and close out the year Oct. 23.
Check back with IdahoSports.com for updated scores and schedules throughout the season.