Written by: Brandon Baney
Football can be a cruel game sometimes. Just ask fans in Blackfoot.
In 2021, the Broncos trekked all the way north to Sandpoint for a semifinal showdown with the top-seeded Bulldogs. Despite leading by scores of 21-14 with less than a minute to play, Blackfoot couldn't close it out.
Sandpoint scored the game-tying touchdown to send the contest to overtime. Blackfoot scored first in OT to take a 28-21 lead, but the euphoric feeling was fleeting. The Bulldogs notched the equalizer and then went for the two-point conversion and the win.
Sandpoint 29, Blackfoot 28. In a flash, the championship dream was over.
That stinging loss has motivated Blackfoot throughout the offseason. Third-year head coach Jerrod Ackley has taken Blackfoot to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, but Broncos fans are yearning to reach the top of the mountain again, after winning four state titles in a six-year span in the 2010s and 2020s.
Standout wide receiver JaVonte King headlines the list of Blackfoot returners. King earned 1st Team All-State and 1st Team All-Conference honors a year ago, and is joined on the perimeter by fellow senior Deegan Hale. Hale also excels in the defensive secondary.
Austin Ramirez also returns after rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2021. He'll be joined by senior quarterback Jaxon Grimmett, who piloted the offense as a junior in 2021.
Defensively, the big question is: who replaces linebacker Bowen Robinson as the heart and soul of that unit?
Blackfoot begins their season with a long road trip to Emmett. The rest of their non-conference schedule features 5A schools (Highland, Madison and defending champ Rigby).
The big conference game everyone has circled occurs on October 7th, when Blackfoot will host two-time defending champion Skyline.