When the 18 football players at Mackay High learned their 2009 season had been saved thanks to the passage of a second-chance school levy in July, they gathered at the school and made a commitment to themselves and their town.

"We're going to need to have a good season to show the community we're thankful," senior quarterback Kole Krosch said. "It showed us not to take anything for granted. It shows us how strong our community really is and how much they're willing to put forth for us."

Most of the people of Mackay, a tiny Eastern Idaho hamlet of fewer than 600, will be on hand Saturday when Krosch and his undefeated teammates meet Salmon River for the state championship at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

Krosch, whose three older brothers have won football championships at Mackay High, considered transferring or moving when the extracurricular activities appeared to be a casualty of the state's financial crisis.

The senior quarterback is glad he that he didn't have to leave his school or his hometown for a chance to match his older brothers' accomplishments.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Mackay," Krosch said. "There's nothing that I want more. I've been thinking about this my whole life."

Things looked different in May. With the state Legislature reducing funding to districts, Mackay residents were asked to pass a two-year, $330,00 levy to support extracurricular activities.

The vote failed 161-149, and the school board recommended killing extracurricular activities. With sports in jeopardy, players and coaches scrambled for contingency plans.

"I don't think the entire community knew the importance of (the vote). It surprised them that the entire sports program got axed when it did fail by the board," Mackay athletic director Jack McKelvey said.

"That's when the rally started."

First-year Principal Jess Johnson gathered all the students in front of the school for a picture that appeared in the paper to help generate support for the second levy. Some private citizens offered to fund programs at the school, but nothing definitive emerged - and the debate in town was heating up over increasing property taxes.

"There were people bickering back and forth. You choose up sides and you got so many against and so many for," said Mayor Otto Higbee, who supported the levy. "We needed that passed, so we could get our school put back together."

A one-year, $250,000 levy passed July 7 by a vote of 335-258.

That's when Krosch and his few teammates - the Miners play eight-man football in 1A Division II, the state's smallest classification - decided to dedicate the season to the town.

"In the back of their minds, it appeared, 'Oh, my gosh. We really need to bust our butts. We came that close to losing our program. We need to be happy we got it and be thankful we got it and work hard,' " said coach Lance Rosenkrance.

The 11-0 Miners, who won the state basketball championship last year, showed their resiliency in the season's third game against rival and defending state champion Carey. Trailing by three touchdowns, Mackay rallied for a 26-22 victory, setting the tone for the season.

Mackay, which defeated Carey again for a spot in the title game, has won its games by an average of 30 points per game.

"It's kind of their way of showing the community how much they appreciate its support," McKelvey said.

Seeking its first state title since 2004, Mackay plays Salmon River, which faced a similar issue in 1999 when a supplemental levy failed, forcing students, parents and boosters to raise money to keep extracurricular activities going.

Keeping sports in the school, McKelvey said, was important for the educational experience of students in the district.

"We feel fortunate that we're still giving our kids the opportunity to have these choices in their lives," he said. "It's a valuable part of the educational program. We just want that for our kids. We're proud of them that they stepped up and had big seasons."

Brian Murphy: 377-6444