Written by: Lucas Gebhart
Had it not been for a pesky kicker, Eagle would have played for a state title last year.
Clinging to a one-point lead with three minutes to go in the state semifinals, the Eagle defense bent, but it didn’t break. The problem was Highland didn’t need it to break. The Rams pushed the ball just far enough to give the state’s best kicker a shot to win the game, a 40-yard chip shot, his coach at the time Gino Mariani said to the Idaho State Journal.
The game-winner was Ian Hersey’s third make of the night. His longest was from 52, his shortest from 19. Had one not gone through the uprights, Eagle would have likely played in the state championship, a stage this program hasn’t played on since 2011.
Despite the tough ending, there were still a lot of things that went right. The Mustangs won nine games and had one of the best quarterbacks in the SIC pulling the strings. But now Jack Benson is gone and so is his tight end Donovan Jones along with Eagle’s best lineman, Ty Henson.
But Eagle football doesn’t rebuild. Instead, it simply reloads. The Mustangs are regulars in the state playoffs, and it doesn’t look like this year will be any different.
“I am excited that the team continues to grow in becoming a tight knit group,” said head coach John Hartz. “We must be united to make a run.”
Returning to the 2022 squad is Ian Duarte, an all-state selection at receiver a year ago. Also back is one of the conference’s best running backs in Deegan Martinho, who ran for over 700 yards on just 85 carries a season ago, an average of 8.2 yards per carry.
“We like to have a balanced attack and get our playmakers the ball,” Hartz said.
On defense, all-conference linebacker Eli Mikita is back along with lineman Cater Davis, who was a first-team all-SIC selection. Overall, Hartz says likes what he sees from his defense.
“We will have athletes across the board that fly to the football,” Hartz said.
Eagle opens its 2022 season at Meridian before hosting Kuna the second week of the year and traveling to Rocky the week after.
But the final two weeks of the year could present the biggest challenges. Eagle closes the year with Mountain View, a school that was a state title favorite a year ago, and Borah, a team many say will be much better this season.