Written by: Will Hoenike
Friday, November 8, 2024. Hazelton, Idaho.
In what was probably the 2A game of the year, Snake River Conference rivals Valley and Hagerman were trading haymakers in the state quarterfinals. Valley, the regular-season conference champ, was knocking on the door of a last-second win, but the visitors from Hagerman forced a goal-line turnover to secure the thrilling victory.
Will the two teams finish 1-2 in the conference standings again in 2025? Both have key players to replace, and both will have to hold off challengers from elsewhere in one of Idaho’s strongest 8-man football conferences.
VALLEY
No doubt Viking fans are ready to get the sour taste of the final seconds of the 2024 season out of their mouth. Veteran head coach Brian Ayers, who has been a part of the Valley program for three decades, is looking ahead rather than backwards.
“It’s always exciting when we have a lot of new players starting for the program,” Ayers said. “They have been working hard, and I can’t wait to see what they can do.”
The Vikings must replace 11 graduated seniors, including four who were voted either first or second-team All-State, including dynamic QB/DB Josh Hardy and big-play receiver Pedro Robles. Junior Brandt Jones could be the new signal caller for the Vikings, but the key name to know for Valley is Thomas Vargas. The talented running back returns for his senior season after earning second-team All-State honors as a junior.
He'll run behind a seasoned, experienced offensive line, including seniors Jesus Urias, Alfredo Valdez, Diego Arteaga, and Niel Kent. Austin Stubbs returns after missing last season due to an injury, giving the team depth at the running back position behind Vargas.
Vargas, Valdez, Reese Balls, and Daniel Zamudio will be counted on to be consistent contributors for the team’s defense.
Ayers isn’t letting his team’s inexperience keep him from challenging them – the Vikings open on August 29 against perennial 2A power Butte County before playing a neutral-site game against another traditional power, Prairie, before a home date on September 12 against Hagerman.
HAGERMAN
As the Vikings have a big name returning in Vargas, so, too, does Hagerman. Wyatt Mavencamp led all of Idaho, regardless of classification, in passing yards as a junior (3,080) and tossed 49 touchdown passes en route to first-team All-State honors.
He’ll have to find some new weapons as Ky Kendall, Shaymus Merrill, and Martin Gonzales all graduated. One player who figured prominently in Hagerman’s plans is sophomore Casen Knight. He played a ton of snaps as a freshman and could step into a starring role on both sides of the ball this fall.
Veteran head coach Bill Hicks will be looking to three newer faces to fill roles in the skill positions as well as the defensive backfield: senior Cameron Clouse was injured last season, and fellow senior Zander Cenarussa returns to the program after not playing last fall. Junior Jace Leavitt waited in the shadows behind the likes of Kendall and Merrill and now has his chance to shine.
The coaching staff knows it can once again contend for a conference title. But Hicks thinks there’s a bigger factor in his team’s success.
“When you have athletes who trust each other, support one another, and buy into a shared vision, that’s when extraordinary things happen on the field,” said Hicks. “Talent matters, but it's the chemistry and the willingness to play for each other that have to set us apart.”
Like Valley, Hagerman also opens against a marquee opponent, hosting defending Whitepine League champion Logos on August 23.
GLENNS FERRY
Head coach Erick Stewart and the Glenns Ferry Pilots picked up six wins and also reached the 2A state playoffs last fall. Now, the team must replace a robust class of departed seniors.
Incoming senior Brodie Merrell is the team’s top statistical returner in a number of categories: rushing yards (166), receiving yards (35), tackles (61, 6.8 per game), and interceptions (3). Juan Juarez and Henry Thomas are two other players who earned playing time in 2024 as juniors and could be in line for larger roles in 2025, along with Payton Reynolds.
Junior Alijah DeLeon and sophomore Brayden Spriggs could also be key contributors for the Pilots this fall.
Glenns Ferry kicks off its season on the road on August 29 against Shoshone.
RAFT RIVER
After back-to-back conference titles in 2020 and 2021, the Raft River Trojans have found themselves on the outside looking in at the championship party. Head coach Chad Evans and his team got off to a fast start last season before injuries set in as the Trojans lost five straight games to end the season (including a 2A playoff loss to Hagerman).
Replacing productive, two-way standouts Blake Tracy and Kai Ward will be key to the Trojans' hopes this fall. The team does return starting quarterback McCoy Spencer and play-making receiver Ren Udy.
A pair of Wards, Ruger (a senior) and Treyce (a junior), have valuable game experience to help fill roles in the backfield, and Chase Boden is another player who should earn opportunities to contribute on both sides of the ball.
“I believe, as always, our strength continues to be our run game,” said Evans. “We are very excited for our prospects and depth all over the field, but especially our O-line.”
Juniors Rodee Evans, Gilbert Lloyd, Jesse Peterson, and Miles Spencer will compete for roles along the offensive and defensive fronts for Raft River.
The Trojans open up the 2025 campaign with a Thursday-night kickoff on the road at Grace on August 28.
MURTAUGH
The Red Devils will be looking for players to step forward to replace talented two-way All-Conference honorees Soyer Young and Will Nebeker in 2025.
Seniors Stetson Perkins and Jose Simental combined for 250 yards and four rushing touchdowns in part-time duty last season. Edwinn Alcala should be a key piece of the Murtaugh offensive and defensive front for head coach Chad Young – Alcala averaged about four tackles per game as a junior in 2024. Dallin Virgin, who is going into his junior year, also gained valuable experience last season, collecting a sack and recovering a fumble on defense.
Murtaugh begins its season on August 29 on the road against Carey, before playing its first home game the following week against Grace.
OAKLEY
Nothing went right for the Hornets in 2024, falling to 0-8 after winning state championships in 2020, 2021, and 2022 before finishing second in 2023. Head coach Brennan Jones enters the 2025 season with a young roster but boasts talent in key positions.
A quad of talented juniors tops the list: QB/LB Jackson Rice, RB/LB Kohl Beck, RB/LB Bridger Conant, and OL/DL Traegan Jones. They’ll be asked to lead a team that must replace a solid group of departed seniors, including Dallin Hardy, Porter Bingham, and Tim Short.
The Hornets open the season with a major gauntlet of non-conference opponents, facing Grace, Kendrick, and Potlatch in successive weeks before beginning Snake River Conference play.