2011 state champion: Boise
2011 District Three champion: Mountain View
Teams to watch:
-- Boise graduated 11 players from its state championship team, including five first-team All-5A Southern Idaho Conference players. The Braves should field a strong team with five returning starters.
-- Eagle returns seven starters from a team that qualified for state.
-- Borah has made the state championship game each of the past three seasons and now has its eye on a rare fourth straight championship berth.
-- Mountain View graduated 12 seniors and only has three returning starters, but features the conference’s top goalkeeper in senior Tyler Blackmer (115 saves, six shutouts).
-- Centennial, which has made the state championship game two of the past three seasons, has a new coach in Brian Gillenwater.
-- Timberline returns 11 lettermen, including 10 starters and five seniors.
Other players to watch: Boise forwards Carter Perry (16 goals, eight assists) and Mike Mollay (15 goals, eight assists); Rocky Mountain junior forward Tyson Fox; Borah senior midfielder Jacob Szuch and senior centerback Peter Busche; Capital centermid Luke Eecia, centermid Adam O’Keeffe and forward Javier Ruiz; Timberline senior centerback Derek Pascal and sophomore centermid Marcus Maroscari; Meridian junior midfielder/forward Dylan Haas, sophomore centermid Edwin Perez and sophomore forward Hector Hernandez.
Games to watch: Eagle at Boise, 6 p.m.; Sept. 18; Boise at Borah 6 p.m., Sept. 20; Rocky Mountain at Mountain View, 6 p.m., Sept. 25.
