2015 1A All-Idaho Football Player of the Year: Ben Taylor, Valley

Quarterbacks at the 8-man level operate with an almost unfair advantage. If no one is open, they can easily take off and run for a couple yards.

But Valley’s Ben Taylor wanted more than a couple yards. He wanted to attack downfield and go for the throat. And Valley turned his ruthless drive loose.

“It kind of always depends on what the game demanded,” Valley coach Brian Ayers said. “If it meant pulling it on a read play or keeping it on a pass-option play, that’s what he’d do. But he definitely liked to push the ball.”

The 5-foot-8, 170-pound senior shredded defenses with his arm, leading Valley of Hazelton to an undefeated season and the 1A Division I title. He completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,845 yards with 51 TDs and two interceptions despite playing past halftime just twice in the regular season.

With complete trust from Ayers, Valley only punted three times the past two years. Ayers said the Vikings even went for it on 4th-and-26 from their own 6-yard line this fall against Hagerman.

“With him back there, we were never afraid to go for it,” Ayers said.

The result?

A 94-yard touchdown pass.

WHAT COACHES ARE SAYING

“I threw some stuff at him I’ve never seen at the 8-man level, and that kid read it. It stopped them one time, and he knew right what we were doing. The next time, he audibled and they scored an 80-yard touchdown.” — Kade Craner, Oakley

OFF THE FIELD

Taylor has qualified for the state golf tournament the previous three years, finishing sixth as a freshman and junior and third as a sophomore. His favorite place to play is the Twin Falls Golf Club, where his grandparents first took him as a 10-year-old.

WHAT’S NEXT

Taylor isn’t sure where he wants to go to college. But he wants to remain in the surrounding states and study sports medicine.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 11:46 PM with the headline "2015 1A All-Idaho Football Player of the Year: Ben Taylor, Valley."