5A SIC football preview: Picking the top teams and contenders in the Boise area
The Treasure Valley’s second-largest league normally has plenty to say about who takes home the state high school football championship. But the 5A SIC failed to place a team in the semifinals for just the second time in 15 years last fall.
So who can return the league to statewide prominence?
Bishop Kelly stands as the easy answer. The Knights finished atop the league’s preseason coaches’ poll for the eighth straight season. But preseason expectations aren’t worth much when the postseason doesn’t pan out.
Vallivue stands as BK’s top challenger. Nampa looms as a potential sleeper. And Emmett has taken down the Knights more often than anyone in recent years.
So who will it be? We broke down every contender and dark horse in the league below with the help of the league’s coaches.
1. BISHOP KELLY
Last season: 9-2, 6-0 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Minico 41-35 (3OT) in quarterfinals
Coach: Chris Culig, third season
Career record: 79-11
Base offense (coordinator): Run-and-shoot (Kyle Kerfoot)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-4 (Juss Jackson)
Key players: Ben Avella, sr., QB; Dominic Wolthuis, sr., WR; Bryce Root, sr., S/LB; Quentin Powers, sr., OG/DT
Outlook: The three-time defending league champ starts the year favored for another crown, and it’s not hard to see why. BK brings back 12 starters (eight offense, four defense) after an early playoff exit. But don’t expect to see the same old Knights.
Bishop Kelly features a new run-and-shoot offense designed to take advantage of Avella’s arm. The three-year starter under center enters with a 22-2 career record and second-team All-Idaho honors under his belt. The Carroll commit should have all day to throw with four starting offensive linemen returning. And he’ll have plenty of weapons with his top two receivers back in Wolthuis, an Idaho commit, and Boston Huskey.
The state’s second-best defense (14.8 ppg) starts the year with fewer household names. Powers (34 tackles), a three-year starter, and Root (50 tackles), a three-year varsity member, lock down two key positions at the front and back of the defense. Culig said the unit features speed all over the field, but it won’t have much varsity experience at linebacker and corner.
2. VALLIVUE
Last season: 7-3, 5-1 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Lakeland 28-21 in quarterfinals
Coach: Shea McClellin, second season
Career record: 13-15
Base offense (coordinator): Slot-T (Sawyer Murphy)
Base defense (coordinator): 2-4-5 (Chis Ackerman)
Key players: Onix Carson, sr., RB; Evert Eells, jr., TE/DE; Eli Daniel, jr., QB/S; Jayden Cagle, sr., LB
Outlook: The Falcons surprised the 5A SIC last season, starting the year fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll before finishing second and making it to the state quarterfinals — tied with BK for the league’s longest postseason trip. But with 10 returning starters (five offense, five defense), don’t expect Vallivue to sneak up on anyone this season.
Every opponents’ game plan starts with slowing down Carson, a second-team all-state pick who leads all 5A returners with 1,419 rushing yards. Stopping him remains easier said than done, though, as Vallivue also brings back three starters on the offensive line, too.
The 5A classification’s best defense (13.2 ppg) remains loaded in the front seven, too. Cagle returns after leading Vallivue with 70 tackles, and Eells (seven sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss) should pose an even more disruptive force on the line after adding 20 pounds in the offseason. Defending the pass remains a concern, and the Falcons start with no experienced receivers for new quarterback Eli Daniel, a first-team all-state baseball selection.
3. NAMPA
Last season: 4-6, 3-3 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Skyline 42-14 in first round
Coach: Ty Thomas, second season
Career record: 4-6
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Danl Richards)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-4 (Ryker Good)
Key players: Ryker Good, sr., RB/LB; Hugo Afamasaga, sr., LB; Kartez Hernandez, RB/WR/DB; William Raas, sr., OL
Outlook: The Bulldogs started a youth movement three years ago and returned to the playoffs last fall. Now, it’s time for that investment to pay off with a senior-loaded squad bringing back 11 starters (seven offense, four defense).
Senior quarterback Dom Almaraz begins his third season as a starter and has a bevy of weapons to work with. The list includes Nampa’s leading rusher a year ago in Good (958 yards, seven TDs), its top receiver in Makai Venegas (430 yards, five TDs), and a jack-of-all trades and matchup nightmare in Hernandez (1,080 total yards, seven TDs).
Hernandez pulls double duty as a game-changing defensive back, and he’ll team with Afamasaga (37 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss) to form the backbone of a unit Thomas called fast and aggressive. But to take the next step and contend with the state’s powerhouses, Thomas said Nampa will need to limit turnovers and cut down on mistakes.
4. EMMETT
Last season: 6-4, 4-2 5A SIC
Playoffs: Lost to Minico 40-6 in first round
Coach: Rich Hargitt, eighth season
Career record: 53-56
Base offense (coordinator): Power spread/gun triple option (Hargitt)
Base defense (coordinator): 3-4 (Zane Hines)
Key players: Agezu Tucker, jr., DE; Lincoln Thayn, sr., RB; Nessen Korell, sr., RB/WR/DB; Tag Griffin, sr., WR
Outlook: The Huskies enter a new era after building 5A’s second-best offense (33.6 ppg) and losing 11 all-conference selections to graduation, including the league’s offensive player of the year in quarterback Ryder Scheibe.
Those losses leave just four returning starters (three offense, one defense), and Emmett lost its projected starting quarterback to a broken leg in July. That puts the Huskies in an underdog role — a role they’re well accustomed to breaking out of.
Despite all the new faces, Hargitt said the Huskies feature more speed and strength in several key positions. A junior varsity squad that went 9-1 last fall moves up to varsity looking to continue Emmett’s run of five straight playoff appearances. And the Huskies do bring back Lincoln Thayn (678 rushing yards, five TDs), their top running back from a year ago.
5. COLUMBIA
Last season: 3-6, 1-5 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: Charlie Dotson, fourth season
Career record: 10-17
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Hayden Paul)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (Zechariah Taylor)
Key players: Brenten Thueson, jr., OL/LB; Tyson Winkelman, jr., WR/DB; Jackson Cheslak, sr., RB; Michael Dominguez, sr., RB/LB
Outlook: The Wildcats have long remained one year away from contending, and Columbia starts fall practices with Dotson on medical leave. But with 14 returning starters (eight offense, six defense), Columbia looks to turn the corner this fall and contend for the third playoff berth in program history.
Thueson, a first-team all-conference pick on both sides of the ball, remains the heartbeat of the team as a junior entering his third season as a two-way starter. He headlines an offensive line that returns four of five starters, and he remains the tone setter on defense after leading the Wildcats with 90 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss last year.
Columbia also brings back its quarterback, junior Gavin Healey, and its top running back, Cheslak (476 yards, two TDs). That pair and a stout offensive line should create a physical running game. But Dotson said the Wildcats will need to find more consistent execution to climb back into contention.
6. RIDGEVUE
Last season: 2-6, 0-6 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: Gary Thorson, first season
Career record: 90-53
Base offense (coordinator): Air raid (Jared Smith)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (Thorson)
Key players: Tyree Flowers, sr., RB/DB; Cohen Arsers, jr., OL/DL; Logan Hirasaki, jr., WR/DB; Tommy Tobin, sr., OL/DL
Outlook: The Warhawks have yet to reach the playoffs or win more than three games since opening nine years ago. But Ridgevue hired Thorson in the offseason, and he brings a track record of rebuilding struggling programs to the Nampa school.
He starts his latest project with relatively stocked cupboards: The Warhawks bring back 10 starters (five offense, five defense). That list includes junior quarterback Hunter Schmittel, who cut his teeth as a sophomore and impressed Thorson with his chemistry with a deep group of receivers. But Ridgevue will need to find a new running back to replace three-year starter Cash McKie.
The defense took massive strides last year, allowing 23.4 points per game after back-to-back seasons giving up 38 points a night. Flowers, a second-team all-league defensive back, and Hirasaki lead an experienced secondary looking to continue that improvement. But size and varsity snaps on the offensive and defensive line remain in short supply.
7. SKYVIEW
Last season: 2-7, 2-4 5A SIC
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: David Robinson, third season
Career record: 9-11
Base offense (coordinator): Spread (Robinson)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-3 (Steve Fleshman)
Key players: Trevan Plew, jr., QB; Tim Buchinskiy, jr., RB/LB; Jaxon Phillips, jr., WR/LB; Kimball Robison, jr., WR/S
Outlook: Picked second in last year’s coaches’ poll, the Hawks start in last place after missing the playoffs for just the second time in 15 seasons. Three losses by six points or less had a lot to do with a rare November at home. But Skyview also enters a rebuild with just six returning starters (four offense, two defense).
Youth remains the name of the game all over the field. Plew leads the transition at quarterback and as a team leader. David Robinson said he expects the junior to lead a more potent passing attack alongside Phillips, a two-way talent, and Kimball Robinson, a returning starter. Buchinskiy also slides over to running back and brings a physical edge from his days as a defensive lineman.
The defense received a boost with Fleshman returning as its coordinator, and he’ll bring an attacking style the Hawks were long known for. But a host of inexperienced players will need to step up quickly.
CALDWELL
Last season: 0-9
Playoffs: Ineligible
Coach: Chris Boncz, first season
Career record: 0-0
Base offense (coordinator): Pistol (Jesus Rodriguez)
Base defense (coordinator): 4-2-5 (Pedro Rodriguez)
Key players: Joe Black, sr., OL/DL; Ray Lopez, sr., WR/CB; Zion Perrault, sr., QB/DB; Hunter Lewis, sr., WR/DB
Outlook: The Cougars enter their fourth season as an independent program. The status surrenders Caldwell’s postseason eligibility for an easier schedule designed to get the program back on track. But the Cougars start the year with their third coach in the past four seasons, and they didn’t win a game in 2024.
Boncz, an assistant the past two seasons with 19 years of coaching experience, starts with 14 returning starters (six offense, eight defense). Black will set the tone as a force on both the offensive and defensive lines, Caldwell gets the luxury of a returning quarterback in Perrault, and Gabe Garcia leads a host of ball carriers that Boncz expects to make the Cougars more versatile.
Boncz said all that returning experience means Caldwell can spend less time working on fundamentals and scheme, allowing it to focus on execution as it seeks to make a turnaround.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 4:00 PM.
