4A All-Idaho football team: See who made the cut in Idaho’s deepest classification
4A ALL-IDAHO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Caden Young, Emmett
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior carried a long-struggling program to new heights. The Huskies won their first 4A SIC title and reached their first 4A state championship game under the dual-threat QB, who threw for 1,879 yards and 20 TDs while adding 1,548 rushing yards and 17 TDs.
“He was an absolute game breaker,” Minico coach Keelan McCaffrey said. “He was tough to contain and could extend plays that you thought were over.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Berger, Skyline
The Grizzlies’ have become 4A’s top program, winning three state titles in five years under Berger.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Cade Marlow, Skyline
The 6-2 senior led Skyline to the state title, completing 63% of his passes for 2,180 yards and 35 TDs.
RB: Westyn Smith, Emmett
The senior led 4A in rushing yards (1,777) and rushing TDs (21). He finished with 2,131 total yards and 23 TDs.
RB: Teegan Thomas, Blackfoot
A repeat first-team pick, the explosive senior was the heart of the Broncos, finishing with 1,223 total yards and 10 TDs.
WR: Conner Maloney, Skyline
Defenses spent all game tracking down the 5-10 senior and three-year starter. He racked up 931 yards and 18 TDs on 75 touches.
WR: Eli Ames, Skyline
A threat to score no matter where he got the ball, the senior turned 113 touches into 1,067 yards and 18 TDs.
WR: Bruin Fleischmann, Century
The 6-5, 220-pound junior started the year at QB. But he moved to receiver in Week 2, finishing with 46 catches for 843 yards and 15 TDs.
OL: Taylor Layne, Emmett
A three-year starter, the 6-2, 240-pound senior left tackle paved the way for more than 5,000 yards of offense.
OL: Ethan Meissner, Skyline
Skyline’s skill positions got most of the credit. But it doesn’t win a state title without the 6-2, 205-pound senior.
OL: Jack Schlafer, Bishop Kelly
The 6-3, 230-pound senior served as the leader of the Knights’ O-line, making all the calls as the center.
OL: Kali Niupalau, Nampa
The Bulldogs led 4A in total yards (434/game) thanks to the 6-1, 300-pound senior guard, a second-team pick last year.
OL: Titan Fleischmann, Century
A former tight end, the 6-6, 255-pound senior and three-year captain moved inside this year and has committed to Montana State.
K: Lance Hanna, Nampa
The junior nailed a game-winning, 42-yard field goal with 5 seconds left for a playoff win at Middleton.
DEFENSE
DL: Axel Sanchez, Emmett
The 6-4, 240-pound senior racked up 109 tackles and six sacks for the Huskies while also playing fullback.
DL: Braydon Ary, Vallivue
The 5-10, 243-pound senior led 4A in sacks (10, 1.1/game) again, adding 103 tackles and 12.5 stops for a loss.
DL: Brixton Gilbert, Skyline
An impact player inside the tackles for 4A’s top defense (12.3 ppg), the senior racked up 11 sacks and 66 tackles.
LB: Bowen Robinson, Blackfoot
The junior covered the whole field (68 tackles), covering wide receivers and getting after the QB (nine sacks).
LB: Jonah Elliss, Moscow
Teams ran away from the Utah commit (6-2, 215), forcing the Bears to move the senior to inside linebacker in the final weeks.
LB: Colby Weikert, Bishop Kelly
The 5-11, 190-pound senior was the heart of the Knights’ defense, averaging 7.2 tackles with two sacks.
LB: Easton Millward, Century
The senior and state champion wrestler finished second in program history with 128 tackles (11.6 per game) and nine stops for a loss.
DB: Braden Owens, Skyline
A physical senior who locked up opponents in man coverage, he finished with 68 tackles and 11 pass breakups.
DB: Adrian Alvarez, Skyline
The senior stood 5-8, 160 pounds. But he played bigger than his size and only gave up one TD all year.
DB: Nick Sorenson, Minico
A three-year starter, the 6-foot senior racked up 74 tackles and four INTs while forcing two fumbles.
DB: Myles Gifford, Century
The 6-2, 190-pound senior led 4A with eight interceptions, and he had two more called back for penalties on others.
P: Keegan Croteau, Bishop Kelly
The Knights’ senior and jack-of-all-trades in all three phases of the game averaged 46 yards per punt.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 3:35 PM.
