The Hansen Huskies are looking to rebound in 2022 after a difficult, one-win campaign in 2021. The good news for head coach Jim Rife and his staff is that the team graduated just two seniors from last fall’s team, which means several returning players gained valuable experience on the field last season.
Senior two-way lineman Aydan Egbert earned all-conference honors on both sides of the ball for the Huskies. He’ll be counted on to help lead the way for an offense that averaged nearly 30 points per game, including a season-high 56 in a win over Greenleaf Friends Academy.
Joining Egbert up front will be versatile senior Salvador Camarillo, who will see time along the line and at tight end for the Huskies. Running behind Egbert will be senior running back Elway Pickett. The same trio will be counted on to provide experience and production along the defense, with Egbert and Camarillo playing defensive line in front of Pickett at linebacker. The Hansen defense struggled to stop opposing offenses so the team will need to see continued growth in discipline and tackling in order to make a move up the standings this fall.
A weapon to help the Hansen defense will be the team’s punting game, led by Camarillo, who was selected first team All-State in a state-wide vote of coaches last fall. Camarillo, who is also an effective kicker, walloped 16 punts last season for an average of 48 yards per punt, including one boomer that covered 82 yards.
With perennial conference (and classification) power Carey moving up to the 1A Division 1 classification, the Sawtooth Conference might feel a little bit different this fall. The rest of the teams, including Hansen, remain the same but opportunity exists for other programs to take a step forward. The Huskies open with a game in Idaho Falls against Watersprings before returning home on September 2 to host old rival Murtaugh in the annual Battle for the Wagon Wheel. The following week, Hansen travels to Greenleaf. If the team can stay healthy and earn a couple of early wins, the door is open for the team to play themselves into playoff contention in the 1A Division 2 classification.