Written by: Will Hoenike
Returning seniors Gabe Zavala and Cordell Bovey will lead the Salmon River Savages in 2023 as the team looks to improve upon its one-win season from last fall.
Head coach Ty Medley’s team will likely face the same challenges as virtually every Salmon River team in the past two-plus decades: lack of depth. The school is located in Riggins, a beautiful-yet-isolated part of Idaho. The school district is one of the smallest in the state with fewer than 40 students enrolled in the high school.
Zavala and Bovey were each recognized by the Long Pin Conference coaches on the end-of-season All-Conference team. Bovey was a second-team linebacker and Zavala was an honorable mention quarterback. When you include junior lineman Devon Herzig, who was voted a second-team offensive lineman, fans in Riggins can see there is reason for optimism. Herzig was one of eight sophomores on the 2022 roster, which gives Medley and his staff a good group of younger players to develop for this season and for next along the Snake River.
The Savages’ competition in the Long Pin this fall will be tough. Council, Horseshoe Bend, and Garden Valley each made the postseason last fall and each return a solid team that should contend again. Tri-Valley and Cascade also expect to have improved teams this fall.
In a scheduling quirk, Salmon River’s final home game will be played before September concludes. After hosting Horseshoe Bend for “Senior Night” on September 22, the Savages will play the final three games of the regular season on the road.