Written by: Lucas Gebhart
Just two years ago, Mountain View was the team to beat in Idaho’s highest classification. But thanks to a stunning state playoff loss to Meridian back in 2021, that power dynamic has shifted to the other side of town.
The Mavs beat Meridian routinely up until that point. They were the heavy favorite to win the 2021 state title, but the loss represented a changing of the guard.
It’s a short sample size, but Mountain View hasn’t touched their rival, or state title contention, since that loss and while the Mavs graduated a heavy senior class and turned to a new head coach, Meridian returned many of their key contributors and began its state title quest the following season.
Now, the Mavs are winless against Meridian in their last three tries and two of those games ended their season.
The new season bring a similar storyline – it’s Meridian, not Mountain View, who is the team to beat in Boise’s biggest suburb. It’s a trend Mountain View is hoping won’t last long.
“We have some young players that have worked hard and are developing,” said second-year head coach Brian Compton said. “As always we will strive for great balance and consistency on offense. We have some experience coming back in our back-end and up front defensively.”
Although the Mavs lose quarterback Dawson Wahl and some key pieces on the offensive line, they do get back all-state defensive back Owen McBride and return three starters to the defensive line.
Offensively, the Mavs return all-conference running back Justin McGee and tackle Dillon Starkle. On top of that, they will also have one of the best special teams weapons in the state in kicker Martin Connington.
“Our X-factor is staying healthy,” Compton said.
Mountain View’s biggest tests come early. The Mavs open the season with Meridian before traveling to Rocky Mountain the following week.
“I’m excited about this team’s chemistry,” Compton said. “We want to continue to improve on takeaways and third downs.”