Written by: Lucas Gebhart
There are not many teams returning as much talent as the Grizzlies and even fewer who enter the season with a chip already on their shoulder, but Rocky Mountain is one of those schools.
Rocky is returning its entire offensive line, their head coach thinks the defensive line could be the best in program history and we are only getting started. In all, the Grizz return 11 players with some sort of conference accolade while welcoming in even more talent. They’re also running a two-quarterback system, not because they have to, but because they two kids who can play the position and play it well.
“We have the ability to throw and run the ball with a skilled group of wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks,” head coach Chris Culig said. “We have some new faces, and we are excited about what they have shown thus far. We have two strong QB’s with different styles.”
Bottom line, this Rocky offense can hurt opposing defenses in anyway it wants. This team is loaded with talents anywhere you look, including the quarterback position. Teagan Sweaney is back as the Grizz signal caller, but Rocky is also welcoming in promising transfer Britton McClure. Both play different styles, but figure to play crucial roles in running this higher-powered machine.
“Tight end and full backs Luke Hanchett and Seva Mironov expect us to elevate our run game,” Culig said. “Art Williams along with Brekkon Albert and Taeshaun Reece should be powerful and versatile as a running back group. The wide receiver core with CJ Jacobsen and Luke Luchini, along with some young talent make for an explosive group of pass catchers.”
He’s not done.
The offense is also returning two of the best, if not, the best offensive linemen in the state in Jackson Fullmer and Zach Penner.
Last year, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Fullmer handed out 74, yes, 74, pancake blocks. That’s an average of nearly 7.5 per game and just short of two per quarter. Several Power Five schools showed interest in Fullmer before he ultimately chose to continue his career at Kansas State.
Zach Penner on the other hand stands at 6-4, 275 and was named the Offensive Line MVP at a University of Idaho camp this summer. Not surprisingly, he signed with the Vandals.
“Our offensive line is a year older, bigger, and more athletic,” Culig said. “To be successful, we must be able to be productive each time we have the football.”
Culig says his defensive line could also be one of the best in the state, too comparing it to Rocky’s 2015 line. Rocky does, however, need to replace three of its four starting linebackers and lacks depth in the back end. If there is weakness on this team, one could point to that.
The Griz lost one game back in 2015. It was to rival Mountain View, and they avenged the regular season loss in the state championship game. It was the first of three they would win over a six-year span, including a 2020 state championship.
In their title defense, the Grizz sailed through much of the 2021 regular season. The only losses were to Mountain View, a school that ended the regular season unbeaten.
The run was good enough to earn a first-round bye into the state quarterfinals and things looked good until Highland erased an 18-point second-half deficit on Rocky’s home turf. By the end of the night, the game, and ultimately, a chance to defend their state title, had slipped through their hands. A big focus this season is to ensure that doesn’t happen in 2022.
“Playing as a team and closing teams out,” explained head coach Chris Culig. “We always need to work through the ups and downs of a season. The team must stay the course and be willing to get better every day.”
Rocky opens its 2022 schedule with Middleton, a newcomer to the 5A ranks. But things get a lot tougher after that as Rocky hosts Coeur d’Alene the second week of the year before traveling to Mountain View on Labor Day Weekend. They host Eagle the following week and travel to Meridian October 7.