Written by: Lucas Gebhart
Both pod divisions in the 6A Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) are in for a major shakeup and outside of Eagle winning the River Pod, where teams finish this fall could, and likely will look very different than what we saw last season.
With Borah and Kuna, two state playoff teams from last year, losing the majority of their varsity roster, and schools like Owyhee, Boise and Mountain View, getting some, or in Mountain View’s cases, most of, their key pieces back, no conference in Idaho will see more change this year than the SIC, and most of the those changes are likely to occur in the River Pod.
EAGLE
2024 Record: 9-3 – State Championship Game
Head Coach: James Cluphf, 3rd Season
Running back Noah Burnham and quarterback Austin Ramsey make up one of Idaho’s most dynamic backfields as both return for their senior seasons, making Eagle a popular pick to return to the state championship.
The 5-9, 170-pound Burnham is one of the most difficult running backs in the state to bring to the ground and is getting looks from a handful of NAIA schools because of it.
Ramsey on the other hand, started his high school career as a change-of-pace opinion to current Idaho State quarterback, Davis Harsin, the son of former Boise State coach and current Cal offensive coordinator, Bryan Harsin.
In his junior season, Ramsey flourished as the full-time starter and finished the year as a Co-Player of the Year with Borah quarterback, Dylan Luekenga, helping Eagle finish as the pod’s highest scoring offense at nearly 30 points per game.
Along with Eagle’s elite defensive play, the Mustangs have gone on deep playoff runs the last two seasons and have been one of Idaho’s most dominant teams throughout that stretch.
Three-year starters Jeremiah Minnett (defensive line), Luke Mikita (linebacker) and Zayah Wright (defensive back) are all back on defense this year along with newcomer, Trey Ellis, a three-year starter at corner, who transfers in from Owyhee.
“The team is as talented as it’s been in my three seasons,” Cluphf said.
BORAH
2024 Record: 5-5 – 1st Round of State Playoffs
Head Coach: JQ Kenyon, 5th Season
After graduating Idaho’s passing leader, Dylan Luekenga, many are expecting Borah to take a step back this season.
The Lions do return one of the state’s best pass rushers in Austin Flaherty, but most of Borah’s Week One lineup will be new to the varsity level, and with it comes changes to Borah’s offensive philosophy.
Put simply, Borah will run the ball a lot more this season by leading on what little experience they do have coming back, which is found on the offensive line with Mason McKenna and Brennan Earley coming back. Both found themselves on all-conference list at the end of last season – McKenna on the first team and Earley, a second-team selection.
“They were our best two offensive linemen last year,” Kenyon said. “We are looking to be more balanced on the offensive side of the football.”
OWYHEE STORM
2024 Record: 5-4 – Missed State Playoffs
Head Coach: Jason Burton, 3rd Season
Owyhee is looking to make a jump into the SIC’s upper echelon and is hoping an explosive pass catcher and an aggressive ground game can help them get there.
Senior Ryan Brekke, a Boise State commit, is back for his senior season after hauling in 55 catches and over 700 yards as a junior, giving Owyhee one of the league’s most feared offensive weapons.
The Storm also return one of their top two running backs in Asher Gaudet, all-conference defensive back Logan Haustveit and two key offensive linemen including Mason Perkins, who holds an offer from Eastern Washington.
“We have our best offensive line since being at Owyhee with a returning running back,” Burton said. “We will lean on our running game to win us games this year.”
Despite starting 3-0, the Storm still missed the state playoffs and nearly missed out of the SIC’s Cross-Pod Playoff Weekend had a decision from the IHSAA Board on an ineligible player not gone their way.
The board’s decision left Owyhee with a win-and-you’re-in cross-pod game at Timberline, a game Timberline won in overtime, 36-35.
KUNA
2024 Record: 5-6 – State Quarterfinals
Head Coach: Beau Smith, 2nd Season
After a somewhat surprising state quarterfinals appearance, Kuna returns junior quarterback Lino Senio, but not much else.
At the end of last season, 24 Kuna players found themselves on the all-conference list. The problem? 20 of them were seniors, leaving Kuna with plenty of holes to fill heading into the new season.
Some of the returners include offensive lineman Hyrum Heindel, running back Geno Salas, and linebacker Mason Pollard.
After losing its last three games of the regular season, Kuna got hot at the right time, beating Meridian, 24-13, in the SIC’s Cross-Divisional Playoff Weekend to make the state playoffs. The Kavemen then went on to upset Timberline, 45-37, in the opening round before running into Rocky.
MOUNTAIN VIEW
2024 Record: 3-6 – Missed State Playoffs
Head Coach: Brian Compton, 4th Season
Mountain View gets most of its varsity roster back and is a popular breakout candidate because of it.
Not only do the Mavs get their second-team all-conference quarterback, Henry Nelson back, but they also return one of the league’s best running backs, Valentin Gomez-Ricks and their best pass catcher in all-conference wide receiver Brody Munson.
All-conference defensive lineman Bill Muta is also back, giving the Mavs experience on defense as well.
The returning core positions Mountain View in a good position to return to the state playoffs after missing out last fall.
“We have had a great offseason, and we are really excited about how our team has come together and worked,” Compton said.
In all, Mountain View returns 10 players who were not only starters, but were all-conference selection last season.
BOISE
2024 Record: 5-4 – Missed State Playoffs
Head Coach: Mike Altieri, 5th Season
Boise returns one of the league’s best quarterbacks in senior Trevor Schoolfield and should boast one of the fastest and highest scoring offenses in the SIC with seniors Will Gebert and Eli Rich back at receiver.
While Gebert brings a physical presence to the offense, Rich brings speed.
The three-sport letterman is one Idaho’s fastest athletes, running a 10.73 100-meter dash in May’s State Track Championships, a time that was three-hundredths of a second shy of a state championship.
“We are a spread team that likes to get the ball outside to our playmakers and I believe we have some of the best playmakers in the state,” Altieri said.
Boise scored over 27 points per game last season, but also gave up over 27 points per game, a big reason Boise missed the state playoffs last fall.
The Brave won their first three games last season before losing four in a row and came out on the losing end of an off-field battle surrounding their game against Owyhee involving an ineligible player.
Had the Brave won that appeal, or that game, Boise, not Owyhee would have played Timberline for an opportunity to go to the state playoffs.