Written by: Will Hoenike
It was 100 years ago – 1923 – when Oakley High School played its first recorded football game. The team made the 60-mile drive to Twin Falls where it would face the defending state-champion Bruins.
Oakley lost the game, 106-6.
What a difference a century makes. The Hornets will kick off its second century this fall on one of the most impressive runs we’ve seen in Idaho. Three consecutive 1A Division 1 state championships, five championship-game appearances since 2016, nine consecutive trips to the state playoffs.
And, perhaps less-celebrated but also important, Oakley has impressive depth for the 8-man level. That first team in 1923 had one player on the bench. The 2022 Hornet team listed 33 players on its varsity roster. Head coach Brennan Jones and his staff are losing All-State running back Ethan Toribau. Waiting to replace him is senior Bry Severe, who was an All-State running back two years ago as a sophomore before missing most of his junior season due to injury.
The team loses the 1A Division 1 state player of the year, Porter Pickett, but returns Isaac Cranney. All Cranney did last season was earn enough votes at three different positions to be named All State: wide receiver, defensive back, and punter. The team is deep enough that it lists five seniors as potential incoming impact players, three of which (Thane Stringham, Kolter Mabey, and Bryce Oldam) will be in the mix to play along the offensive line for the powerful Oakley offense.
“All of these guys have worked really hard to finally get to be the guys under the bright lights. On Friday nights in our small town there is no better place than under the lights,” Jones said. “We have a great football tradition in Oakley. We look forward to the new season and a new chance to compete for our families and our fans.”
Those linemen will pave the way for Severe and senior quarterback Kyler Robinson. Robinson appeared in several games last season backing up Pickett, but this will be his team.
“Kyler throws a great ball and is very accurate,” Jones said. “We expect another great season at quarterback for Kyler.”
When he throws it downfield, he’ll have Cranney and Bridger Duncan to throw to. Kooper Beck, who was an all-state offensive lineman last season, may move out to the tight end position where the Hornets can utilize his talents as a blocker and a pass-catcher.
The offensive power of last fall’s Oakley team isn’t deniable. What sometimes gets overlooked, though, is that the team was pretty good defensively. In October and November – the “money months” – Oakley allowed just 50 points in five games en route to its third consecutive state championship. Beck, Cranney, Severe, and Duncan all return to fill key roles for the Hornets after combining to average nearly 20 tackles per game last season (Severe only appeared in a limited role in two games after recovering from his injury).
Oakley will be featured in one of 8-man’s marquee football matchups this fall when they face defending 1A Division 2 champion Kendrick at Albertsons Stadium in Boise on September 1. The two tangled in a neutral-site matchup last fall and produced one of the most entertaining games of the season last fall, a 52-48 thriller won by Kendrick. The rematch will be played on the campus of Boise State University.