Written by: Lucas Gebhart
Rocky walked through the 6A Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) last season and while the Grizz are still the favorite to win the Foothills pod for a second straight year, it likely won’t be as easy.
Timberline returns one of the state’s best quarterbacks and Idaho’s fastest wide receiver, but many think Capital could be this year’s breakout candidate.
The Eagles return a four-year starter at quarterback, and the young roster seemed to come together late last season, pushing Capital into the state playoffs with many underclassmen who are back this fall.
While Centennial and Meridian retool with new head coaches, Middleton should once again be the pod’s middle ground wildcard as the Viking make another push for the state playoffs.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
2024 Record: 10-1 – State Semifinals
Head Coach: Scott Criner, 3rd Season (2nd Stint)
Rocky graduated much of last year’s DI talent, but the Grizz are still one of the deepest and most feared teams in the state.
Headlining Rocky’s returning talent is the 6A Gatorade Player of the Year, Jax Tanner. The 6-foot-4, 275-poud interior linemen, committed to BYU this summer, passing up offers from Tennessee, Oregon and Michigan. Also back is defensive lineman, Rowan Rupp, a Boise State commit, along with nine others who helped propel Rocky to a 10-win season that featured an average margin of victory of over 30 points.
“We have a chance to replace much of what we had lost,” Criner said.
The Grizz add one of Idaho’s best incoming transfers, wide receiver Resean Jones, who could become one of Idaho best play makers. The Boise State commit transfers in from Oregon where he won three state championships in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles while running a 10.81-second 100-meter.
The Grizz are also excited about their new feature running back, Oakley Baxter, who scored 24 touchdowns on Rocky’s JV team last fall.
One of the only question marks entering the summer was the quarterback position, a spot that will be a “key component” to Rocky’s success as the Grizz try and replace last year’s Offensive Player of the Year, Austin Rovig
TIMBERLINE
2024 Record: 6-4 – 1st Round of State Playoffs
Head Coach: Ian Smart, 9th Season
Timberline enters the new season with perhaps the best quarterback-wide receiver combination in the state with Jack Brant and Hudson Lewis.
The combination helped lead Timberline to the state playoffs last year, but this year, the Wolves have their sights set much higher.
Four seniors, including Brant (UC Davis) and Lewis (Washington State) signed with DI programs this offseason. Offensive tackle Andrew Price signed with Hawaii and edge rusher Sam Haener will join Brant at UC Davis. It all sets the table for Timberline to have one of its best seasons in school history, if not ever.
“Our senior group is really special,” Smart said. “If we can get the underclassmen to follow their lead, things could be really fun.”
Although Timberline has one of the best passing attacks in Idaho, Smart says the running game is equally important.
“We have to run the ball,” he said. “Without a run game, competing for a state championship is out of the question.”
MIDDLETON
2024 Record: 6-5 – State Quarterfinals
Head Coach: Bill Brock, 26th Season
Several athletes at skilled positions are back this year, particularly on defense.
The list includes Drew Holman (linebacker), DJ Brokow (defensive line), Ryan Lewis (defensive back) and Carson McConkie (defensive back).
Offensively, Middleton’s spread offense will have plenty of weapons to choose from as well.
Running back Jake Perez and receivers Brayden Steik and Cruz Thompson all return for their senior years as Middleton prepares to play up a classification for a second straight season.
“The 6A SIC is a very tough conference,” Brock said. “Every year is different, the kids are working hard, and we are excited to get started.”
MERIDIAN
2024 Record: 3-6 – Missed State Playoffs
Head Coach: Christian McAlvain, 1st Season
LaGary Mitchell, one of the state’s best linebackers, heading to Utah next season, headlines Meridian’s returning talent.
But the Warriors lost many of last year’s starters, including quarterback Zeke Martinez, the league’s Player of the Year, and their head coach.
In fact, no school in Idaho spent more time on the coaching carousel than Meridian.
After former head coach John Zamberlin retired, Meridian turned to Austyn Carta-Samuels to fill the void. But shortly after accepting the role, Carta-Samuels, the former SEC quarterback, decided to step into the offensive coordinator role instead to balance his private coaching gig.
Meridian finally settled on Christian McAlvain. It will be his first head coaching role after spending time as an assistant at Mountain View and at three schools in California.
CAPITAL
2024 Record: 3-7 – 1st Round of State Playoffs
Head Coach: Kevin Hastin, 3rd Season
Quarterback Brayden Dudley has started at the position since his freshman year and enters his final year at Capital with more weapons than ever.
Couple that with several other returning offensive playmakers, some new weapons and five returning defensive backs and it begins to make sense why most coaches around the league think Capitol could be a breakout candidate this year.
“We look to be much more explosive and spread out than last season,” Hastin said. “Our overall team speed has increased dramatically.”
Some of the key players back this fall include senior receiver Elliot Schrack, and running back Zander Grow, but Capitol also has some new weapons they are excited about as well, a list that starts with sophomore Quincey Clay.
“He should be an all-conference caliber athlete,” Hastin said.
Hastin says Clay will play on both sides of the ball at three different positions – defensive back, wide receiver and even quarterback. The sophomore lettered in three sports as a freshman and appears to be a rising star at Capital in more than just football.
Although Capital won just three games last year, the Eagles still snuck into the state playoffs by winning when it mattered most. A 28-27 win at Middleton the last week of the regular season set the stage for Capital to upset Borah in the SIC’s Cross-Divisional Playoff Weekend. The win sent Capital to the state playoffs for the first time since 2021.
CENTENNIAL
2024 Record: 0-9 – Missed State Playoffs
Head Coach: Steve Sosnowski, 1st Season
With former head coach Keelan McCaffrey taking over as Centennial’s Athletic Director, the Patriots are turning to former long-time Capital Athletic Director, Steve Sosnowski, to turn their football program in a winning direction.
Sosnowski was recently inducted into the IHSAA Hall of Fame and has a long history of coaching football in Idaho.
He took over as Capital’s Athletic Director in 1999 and retired from the position a few years ago.
He says a big focus in year one will be an aggressive defense and a relentless attitude.
“We have a high quality of character and individuals coming to our summer program on a consistent basis,” he said.