5A SIC football preview: The teams to beat, challengers and top sleepers this fall
The 5A Southern Idaho Conference was already set for a new era this fall with the addition of a conference championship game, the return of a split-division formation and an undefeated 4A state champion joining the mix.
Then the coronavirus swept through the Treasure Valley, putting the season in jeopardy.
School districts around the Boise area are taking varied approaches to starting sports. But for now, the season remains on, if a bit delayed.
The major offseason changes started with Kuna joining the 5A ranks. That swelled the SIC’s ranks to 11 teams and led to the creation of two divisions, the Foothills and the River.
Six teams are in the Foothills Division (Rocky Mountain, Eagle, Boise, Timberline, Meridian and Skyview). Five are in the River Division (Mountain View, Centennial, Borah, Capital and Kuna). Owyhee will join the River Division in 2021 when it opens.
The SIC reserved the final week of the season for cross-division games to set the playoff seedings. So we polled the entire league and had coaches rank teams No. 1 through No. 11.
Here’s our breakdown of each team’s prospects this fall.
1. ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRIZZLIES
Last season: 10-1, 9-0 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Rigby 31-9 in semifinals
Coach: Chris Culig, fourth season
Career record: 31-4
Base offense (coordinator): Pro style (Scott Criner)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-3-5 (Culig)
The back-to-back conference champion enters as the favorite once again. And it’s not hard to see why. Rocky Mountain will rely on a similar formula that has won it 22 of the last 23 games.
The Grizzlies’ vaunted defense returns nearly intact after leading the state in fewest points allowed (13.5 per game) and forced turnovers (23) for the second straight year. Seven starters return on that side of the ball, including big-play machines like Landon Albert (second-team All-Idaho), Xander Nawahine (first-team all-conference), Brayden Rundell and Zach Black.
A dominant ground game should continue churning out yards. Jordan Erickson headlines a deep backfield with five Division I scholarship offers. But the Grizzlies also have loads of depth and can rotate fresh legs.
Rocky Mountain even has an experienced quarterback to turn to in senior Kobe Warr, who split time with Colby Jackson last year.
2. EAGLE MUSTANGS
Last season: 7-4, 6-3 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Rigby 56-28 in quarterfinals
Coach: John Hartz, second season
Career record: 7-4
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Mike Virden)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-4 (Nathan White)
After ranking second in the state in points (37.4) and rushing yards (233) per game, the Mustangs’ offense should keep lighting up the scoreboard this fall with eight returning starters.
Senior quarterback Ben Ford headlines the group with an explosive first step that makes him one of the state’s most dangerous weapons. But running back Jackson Stampfli and four returning offensive linemen give opposing defenses plenty to worry about.
Eagle brings back plenty of experience on defense, too, with six returning starters. Cortland Horton anchors the defensive line after earning first-team all-conference honors on both lines last year. And Brett Tommasini leads the linebacker group.
A pair of new coordinators poses a learning curve. But Virden served in that role before, and White isn’t new to the program either.
3. MOUNTAIN VIEW MAVERICKS
Last season: 8-3, 7-2 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Coeur d’Alene 31-21 in quarterfinals
Coach: Judd Benedick, 14th season
Career record: 102-37
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Brian Compton)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-4 (Benedick)
Mountain View remains loaded on offense with seven starters back from the state’s top offense (38.3 ppg).
That talented group includes senior quarterback Jake Farris (second-team all-conference), leading receiver Kayden Chan, a home-run threat out of the backfield in Leyton Smithson and four offensive linemen. So points won’t be hard to come by.
The defense remains another story, though, with defensive lineman Gus Elwell the only returning starter. The 6-4, 225-pound senior is quite the piece to build around and already has a scholarship offer from Idaho. But the Mavericks face high-flying offenses like Rocky Mountain and Eagle the first two weeks, a tough task for a young group trying to adjust to the varsity level.
4. CAPITAL EAGLES
Last season: 5-5, 5-4 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Eagle 52-32 in first round
Coach: Todd Simis, 17th season
Career record: 128-100
Base offense (coordinator): No-huddle spread (Simis)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-5-3 (Matt Jacobsen)
The Eagles look to bounce back from their worst season in the win-loss column since 2005. But they have the talent to climb back up the SIC standings.
Capital fields some of the league’s top two-way players in lineman Charley Hastriter, tight end/linebacker Jackson Reed and receiver/defensive back Justus Del Rio. Opponents better get used to seeing them wreak havoc all over the field.
The Eagles will have to break in a new quarterback, and junior Max Clark is the leader in the clubhouse. He has big shoes to fill for Carson Bohning, last year’s first-team all-conference quarterback. But Simis said he has so much talent around Clark that he expects this year’s group to be Capital’s best offense in years.
5. KUNA KAVEMEN
Last season: 13-0, 8-0 4A SIC
Playoffs: Beat Blackfoot 49-35 for 4A state title
Coach: Sherm Blaser, fourth season
Career record: 37-29
Base offense (coordinator): Spead (Blaser)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-3-5 (Zach Randolph/Jeff Schank)
The Kavemen set a new high-water mark last year with their first 4A state title and first perfect season. Now they’ll have to prove themselves all over again at the 5A level.
The classification isn’t entirely new to Kuna, though. It went 9-12 at the 5A level in 2016 and ‘17, making the 5A playoffs in 2016.
Quarterback and Montana State commit Sean Austin leads an offense that returns five starters after scoring 44.5 ppg a year ago, the most in 5A or 4A. He’ll have his favorite target, Koltin Teater (second-team All-Idaho), and his top lineman, Jacob Graves, (first-team All-Idaho), back alongside him.
But the defense starts over with just two starters returning after forcing 29 turnovers, the most in 5A or 4A.
6. MERIDIAN WARRIORS
Last season: 3-6, 3-6 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: John Zamberlin, second season
Career record: 3-6
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Troy Gleave)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (Brandon Harris)
A pair of one-point losses turned the Warriors from the league’s hot, up-and-coming team into a disappointment last season, one that missed the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Meridian won’t have many players with memories of last year’s heartbreak, though. Three starters return on both sides of the ball, so youth remains a theme all over the field.
Zamberlin said he’s excited about the talent at the skill positions, including receiver Davis Thacker and running backs Blaze Toikioka and Cross Antiniochi. But the former Idaho State coach will have to replace his entire offensive line and rebuild a much-improved defense that limited opponents to 21.7 points per game, down from 39.1 in 2018.
7. TIMBERLINE WOLVES
Last season: 6-5, 5-4 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Rocky Mountain 33-20 in quarterfinals
Coach: Ian Smart, fourth season
Career record: 27-34
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Matt White)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (Smart)
The Wolves surprised everyone outside of East Boise last year, going from 0-9 to their first playoff victory in a single season. But they aren’t taking a victory lap. In fact, Smart said Timberline may have even more talent this year.
The top priority remains finding a new quarterback to replace Andy Peters, a three-year starter who walked on at Boise State. Max Spielman is the top candidate. Timberline also must find four new starters on the offensive line.
But after leading the SIC in rushing yards as a sophomore, Taylor Marcum remains one of the state’s most dynamic running backs. The top receiver, another junior in Garrett Lavin, poses a threat on the outside. And seven starters are back on a defense that held opponents to 23 points per game last season, a 23.8-point improvement from 2018.
8. BORAH LIONS
Last season: 7-3, 7-2 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Highland 27-21 in quarterfinals
Coach: Jason Burton, fifth season
Career record: 24-17
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Kevin McCarthy)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (JQ Kenyon)
The Lions have thrown a wrench in the SIC’s traditional power structure three years in a row, climbing all the way up to second in the standings last year. But they enter another year with little preseason respect.
The graduation of Austin Bolt, the state player of the year and a Boise State signee, leaves a massive hole in Borah’s lineup. Who will replace all that production remains the top question.
But expect the Lions to remain a threat on the ground. Senior running backs Tyler Phimmasone and Hunter Knoll give Borah a one-two punch. And Burton said the strength of the team lies on the offensive and defensive lines with Tanner Nett (first-team All-Idaho) and Cameron Jay Joseph clearing the way.
9. CENTENNIAL PATRIOTS
Last season: 2-7, 2-7 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: Matt Greene, first season
Career record: 0-0
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Zach Garner)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (Greene)
Greene inherits a rebuilding project at his alma mater after the Patriots ranked second to last in the state in points scored (15.8 ppg) and points allowed (42.8 ppg). That forced them to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight year, the second-longest active streak in the 5A classification.
Greene brings in a new offense and a new defense, which could create a steep learning curve. But he also has plenty of varsity experience to work with.
The Patriots return eight offensive starters, including their leading rusher the past two years (Preston Esplin), their top two receivers (Michael Shulikov, Gavin Ozuna) and a quarterback with some varsity starts under his belt (Keyon Horton).
The defense also brings back six starters, including its top linebacker and tackler (Randy McCurdy). So the rebuilding project may not take as long as some expected.
10. SKYVIEW HAWKS
Last season: 1-8, 1-8 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: David Young, 18th season
Career record: 93-80
Base offense (coordinator): Spread pistol (David Robinson)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-3-5 (Young)
After making the playoffs in its first season at the 5A level, Skyview took its lumps last year while going through a youth movement. It started as many sophomores as seniors the final three games of the year, and Young admits his team looked more like a JV squad than a varsity one.
But that trial by fire should pay off now as Skyview returns experienced, bigger and stronger with nine returning offensive starters and seven on defense.
Senior quarterback Clayton Franssen leads the offense and should show what he can do in front of a rebuilt offensive line. Atonio Fifita is back after leading the team in rushing yards as a sophomore. And a year in the weight room has his defense bulked up and ready to handle the powerful offenses in the 5A SIC, Young said.
11. BOISE BRAVE
Last season: 0-9, 0-9 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: Mike Altieri, first season
Career record: 0-0
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Joel Clark)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-3 (Matt Campbell)
Boise hired Altieri, a former Boise State linebacker, to breathe fresh air into the program. He brings two new coordinators along with him as he attempts to turn around one of the state’s long-struggling programs. (Boise has one winning season in the last 27 years.)
He’ll have some size and experience to work with. The Brave return seven offensive starters, including four along an offensive line led by senior left tackle Jack Stuart (6-5, 260).
Watch for junior running back Mohamed Jabril (5-10, 195) to turn heads with his mix of speed and strength. And Altieri is high on what junior quarterback Jack Payne (6-5, 200) brings as a two-way threat.
But any turnaround starts with Boise’s defense, which allowed a state-high 51.4 points per game last year, its 11th straight year giving up 30 or more points a game.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 2:44 PM.
