Written by: Will Hoenike
The Clark County Bobcats fielded a varsity football team for the first time since 2016 last fall and, though the overall record may not reflect it, coaches around the Rocky Mountain Conference believe the program is headed the right direction as year two approaches.
Austin Mickelsen takes over as the team’s head coach this year after the team went 0-4 in a limited schedule last fall. Senior Ivan Perez was one of three seniors to graduate off of last season’s team so Mickelsen welcomes back eight players with varsity experience.
The Bobcats will compete in the 1A Division 2 Rocky Mountain Conference this fall after playing as an independent in 2022. The team faced three (well, two and a half) of its conference rivals last season, losing to both North Gem and Rockland as well as Challis-Mackay. Those two teams have split into two teams and Mackay will be playing in the RMC this fall.
MaKay and Kooper Mickelsen will team with Hunter Stevens and Eric Barrientos to provide a nucleus for Clark County. One thing that will always be a challenge for the team is numbers – Clark County is the second-smallest high school in the state, enrollment-wise, to field its own football team. So depth will always be a concern.
But effort will not. Following last fall’s loss to North Gem, Cowboys’ head coach Corry Hatch praised the Bobcats effort and desire. Those two teams will meet again in Dubois on October 6.
An interesting matchup on the calendar is September 15, when the Bobcats travel to Richfield. The two played an entertaining game last fall, won by Richfield, 52-42. Both teams have another year’s worth of size, strength, and experience for the rematch in mid-September this fall.