Written by: Brandon Baney
For many years, the Intermountain League was a cozy, two-team conference. Timberlake and Bonners Ferry routinely traded blows, with the Tigers emerging as the most consistent program year-over-year.
The two-team apple cart was toppled in 2024 when Moscow, featuring the enrollment of a 5A school, successfully petitioned down to the 4A level after several years of uncompetitive football. The Bears promptly went 7-3 overall, and swept Timberlake and Bonners Ferry in IML play before suffering a first round upset loss at home to American Falls in the postseason.
The Badgers and Tigers were young a year ago, and return several standout performers, while Moscow was hit harder by graduation losses. Will those factors be enough to close the gap in the Intermountain League? We’ll have to wait until October to find out.
MOSCOW
Moscow’s losses start with quarterback Noah Velasco, who carved up defenses routinely on his way to the IML Offensive Player of the Year award. Also gone are his top two wideouts, Connor Isakson and Butch Kiblen, and starting offensive lineman Wyatt Hartig.
But seniors Paul Dixon and Finny Needham both started up front a year ago, and in the Bears’ wide-open passing attack, senior George Stott and sophomores Keaton Frei and Mason Helbling all saw valuable experience, as well. In fact, Frei was named MVP of the entire league as a sophomore. Stott will line up at tight end, while Helbling and Frei will play all over as running back/receiver hybrids.
“Our offensive line has a lot of talent, but we need to improve in the run game,” says fourth-year head coach Rob Bafus. “We have to establish a solid run game to complement our spread offense.”
A spread offense will only go as far as the quarterback calling signals, and with Velasco now gone, Bafus may turn the keys over to freshman Wyatt Cross. Sophomore Frankie Owen is also expected to step into a starting spot on the offensive line, but otherwise, it’s proven veterans leading the way on offense.
The story is similar on defense. Stott and fellow senior Jericho Pike were All-IML linebackers a year ago, and Needham was an All-IML performer on the defensive line. Stott may move closer to the line of scrimmage as a defensive end this year, and Dixon is expected to start up front as well.
The biggest questions are in the secondary, where All-IML selections Graysen Henrich and Aiden Prakash will have to replaced.
“Our front seven is very solid,” says coach Bafus. “We are very excited to build off of last year’s success. Hopefully, we’ll make a deep run in the playoffs.”
TIMBERLAKE
Against a rigorous schedule in 2024, the Tigers went 3-6 overall. Despite missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2017, Timberlake’s season ended on a high note, with a 22-7 triumph over Bonners Ferry.
“We played a lot of sophomores last year,” says head coach Kelly Amos. “Our youth caused some growing pains, but it gives us a strong group of juniors with a lot of varsity experience this year.”
That junior class is headlined by Westin Herbert, who was named the IML Newcomer of the Year in 2024. Herbert will line up in the Tigers’ modified Wing-T backfield with fellow junior running backs Mason Shively and Wade VanGundy. Amos is hopeful that trio can replace the production of leading rusher Jonathan Hansen, who graduated in 2025.
Ryker Brennan returns at quarterback, and Amos says, “Junior receiver Gage Haines will give us a deep threat.”
The losses up front on both lines are significant. “Jeremy Hurlbert was a three-year starter and probably the best lineman we’ve ever had,” says Amos. “We also lost Brylie Arnett, a strong leader on both lines.”
The Tigers’ defense will also have to contend with the graduation of Hansen, Timberlake’s top tackler from his linebacker spot in 2024. However, the entire secondary of Brennan, Herbert, Haines and VanGundy returns. “All four are good coverage guys, but they also do a great job playing the run,” says Amos.
You’ve probably noticed that most of the names mentioned as key contributors for Timberlake play both ways. “Like most 4A schools, we must stay healthy this season,” Amos concludes.
BONNERS FERRY
The Badgers last won the IML crown in 2022 as part of a 9-1 season overall. Since then, Bonners Ferrry has gone 3-6 and 4-5, respectively, as third-year head coach Danny Swift has put his stamp on the program.
Like Amos at Timberlake, coach Swift is hoping for better health in 2025. “The injury bug bit us pretty hard last season, and many of the injuries were to impact players,” says Swift. “If we can stay healthy and coach them up, we should have a solid year.”
No player illustrates this better than senior James Morgen, a two-way lineman who suffered a season-ending injury in the Badgers’ first game of the season in 2024. Morgen has put in the work this spring and summer, earning Bonners Ferry’s top award for offseason workouts.
Morgen will be joined up front offensively by senior Kai Aitken and junior Jacob Solt. The other two positions are wide open, and there are lots of options as Amos notes, “Morgen can play all five offensive line positions.”
They’ll pave the way for senior running backs Conrad Hiatt and Keenan Maas, and new quarterback Alex Stolley. Stolley takes over for Brody Rice, who graduated this past spring.
Stolley will have several options to rely upon in the passing game. Six-foot-seven senior Sulay Abubakari headlines the group at tight end, while junior Cooper Higgins will also see time there. Juinor Riston Allred and senior Giovanni Faraoni will line up at wide receiver. “Those four should give us a variety of tough, physical receivers with speed on the outside,” says Swift.
The Badgers’ defense will be anchored by senior defensive end Daric Vincent, among others. Swift says, “The front seven should be a strength for us with Vincent, Abubakari and Morgen up front, and linebackers Hiatt, Solt and Maas working behind them.” Stolley and Higgins will feature prominently in the secondary.
Overall, Swift feels good about the work his team has put in ahead of the 2025 campaign. “I’m excited about the number of returning contributors and the offseason work many of them have been willing to put in,” he says. “We have a tight-knit group that spends a lot of time together on and off the field.”