Photo Credit: Wes Turner, GameFrame Photography
CLASS 6A
RETURNING ALL-STATE PERFORMERS
Megan Stewart, Middleton (Senior Goalkeeper, 1st Team All-State)
Lauren Chatterton, Owyhee (Senior Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Paisley Pack, Owyhee (Senior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Olivia Mullen, Rocky Mountain (Senior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Maya Atkinson, Timberline (Senior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Allee Haynes, Timberline (Junior Forward, 1st Team All-State)
Alexis Salisbury, Timberline (Senior Goalkeeper, 1st Team All-State)
Reese Vachek, Timberline (Senior Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Kenzie Hill, Bishop Kelly (Senior Forward, 2nd Team All-State)
Stella Jones, Eagle (Senior Defender, 2nd Team All-State)
Kaylee Banks, Middleton (Junior Defender, 2nd Team All-State)
Alexa Zierenberg, Owyhee (Senior Forward, 2nd Team All-State)
Eva Rivera, Timberline (Junior Midfielder, 2nd Team All-State)
CLASSIFICATION OUTLOOK
The top-seeded Timberline Wolves lived up to their billing at last year’s 6A state tournament. Coach Maison O’Neill’s team vanquished Rigby, 3-0; Owyhee, 2-1; and Rocky Mountain, 1-0 to win the state championship.
Five All-State players return to anchor this year’s lineup as the Wolves attempt to go back-to-back: junior forward Allee Haynes, senior midfielder Maya Atkinson, junior midfielder Eva Rivera, senior defender Reese Vachek and senior goalkeeper Alexis Salisbury. It gives O’Neill impact players on the front, middle and back lines.
“This is a great group of girls who play with joy and enthusiasm,” said O’Neill. “We have many players who were younger last year and have gained confidence to be leaders on our team.”
That may sound like bad news to the rest of the teams in District 3’s Southern Idaho Conference, but O’Neill noted, “There are many talented players in the valley, and any team could surprise on any given day!”
Rocky Mountain carried the second seed overall at state a year ago and fell by one goal to Timberline in the final. To advance to the championship, the Grizzlies earned a gritty semifinal win over third-seeded Boise on penalty kicks, 4-3.
The Grizzlies said goodbye to SIC Player of the Year Campbell Wilson, but six players are back after earning individual honors in 2025: forwards Dilynn Revelle (senior) and Teagan Weigt (junior), midfielders Olivia Mullen (senior) and Reagan Horn (sophomore) , and junior defenders Hallie Bentzinger and Marli Fullmer.
Owyhee and Boise met in the third-place match at state last season, with the Storm outlasting the Brave 1-0. Like Timberline and Rocky Mountain, Owyhee returns a wealth of talent, as five players were named to the All-SIC team: junior forwards Alexa Zierenberg and Aydrie Webb, senior midfielder Paisley Pack, senior defender Lauren Chatterton and junior goalkeeper Bella Thayer.
The Brave will be led by senior midfielder Elle Frazier and junior defender Piper Luangaphay.
Mountain View carried the four seed into state last year. After falling to Owyhee in a first-round match, the Mavericks stormed Rigby 9-0 in a loser-out game before slipping to Highland in the consolation final in overtime, 2-1.
Mavericks coach Gene Corson lost seven impact seniors who were either All-SIC players, college commits or both. Forward Vivian Sipe (senior), midfielders Allie Louvier (senior) and Kadence Keller (sophomore), defender Abby Anderson (junior) and goalkeepers Addy Crumly (senior) and Laney Otero (senior) are among Mountain View’s key returnees this year.
Yes, you read that right. The Mavericks have two All-Conference-caliber keepers. “Laney Otero was honorable mention (SIC) last year while Addy Crumley was out (with injury), and both will play extensive minutes,” said Corson. “Both are capable of stopping every shot and are both starting-level caliber.”
Corson adds that his team has dedicated themselves to improving throughout the offseason.
“We are a really intelligent, technical team with a high degree of skill all over the field,” said Corson. “The players we are putting on the field this year are gym rats. Collectively, they spend more time playing and training outside of high school and club soccer than any team I have ever had. We are in the best physical condition I have ever seen in the past four years.”
If junior Elle Sandel and sophomore Ainslee Gaithwaite can slide into the starting lineup and seamlessly join the other returning veterans, Corson says this could be a special season for Mountain View. “We expect to compete for a district championship and a state championship,” said Corson. “We are reloaded and ready to go again this year. Collectively, we have all the tools to make a deep run in October.”
Eagle was the sixth and final team from the SIC to advance to state in 2025. The Mustangs nipped District 1 champion Lake City 1-0 in a state play-in game before going two-and-out at state. Two freshmen (midfielder Bella Ann Bertagnolli and goalkeeper Campbell Reynolds) and one sophomore (defender Stella Jones) were named All-SIC for Eagle last year, an encouraging sign for a younger program.
One factor to consider in the SIC race this year is the inclusion of Middleton, a team that has moved up from the 5A ranks. The Vikings participated in last year’s 5A state tournament, though they went two-and-out.
Of the nine All-SIC selections that appeared for Middleton last year, seven return in 2026: forward Ella Walters (senior); midfielders Hailey Chris (junior), Kaylee Banks (junior) and Claire Miller (senior), defenders Allie Lantz (senior), Bailey Fullmer (junior) and Cadence Steele (senior), and goalkeeper Megan Stewart (senior).
Highland and Rigby represented East Idaho’s High Country Conference at state last season. The top-seeded Rams blitzed second-seeded Canyon Ridge at the District 4-5-6 tournament 8-0 to win the championship. Still reeling from that loss, the Riverhawks were upset at home by fifth-seeded Rigby, 1-0, sending the Trojans to state and leaving Canyon Ridge at home. Canyon Ridge have moved back down to the 5A level this year.
Highland coach Matt Shutes welcomes back four All-Conference players from last year’s team: junior forward Alexis Vawdrey, senior midfielders Ashlyn Hale and Taryn Roth, and junior defender Oakli Briscoe.
Rigby was the ultimate Cinderella at districts last year. The Trojans finished 3-15-4 overall and 0-8 in conference play before catching fire in the postseason. Facing elimination with just a single loss, Rigby knocked out third-seeded Thunder Ridge (2-0), fourth-seeded Madison (1-1, 4-3 on penalty kicks) and second-seeded Canyon Ridge (1-0). Rigby proceeded to go two-and-out and state, and all five of the program’s All-Conference performers graduated.
North Idaho’s Inland Empire League will once again feature just two teams (Coeur d’Alene and Lake City), after Post Falls successfully petitioned down to Class 5A for another two-year cycle.
The Timberwolves went 12-1-2 last season in claiming the District 1 championship. The one loss on their ledger was also their final loss, 1-0 to Eagle in a state play-in match.
Lake City brings back IEL MVP Riley Brazle, and she will be joined by fellow seniors Chloe Burkholder and Savvy Spencer. Coeur d’Alene’s Kendelyn Bowlby won IEL Newcomer of the Year after an impressive freshman campaign and Katie Foster earned All-IEL honors as a sophomore in 2025.
CLASS 5A
RETURNING ALL-STATE PERFORMERS
Quincy Daw, Hillcrest (Senior Forward, 1st Team All-State)
Kenlee Jarrell, Hillcrest (Senior Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Raine Jarvis, Hillcrest (Senior Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Brinley Nelson, Hillcrest (Senior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Avery Lathen, Lewiston (Senior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Macy Marlow, Skyline (Senior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Hazel Stevens, Moscow (Junior Midfielder, 2nd Team All-State)
Madysen Torngren, Pocatello (Junior Goalkeeper, 2nd Team All-State)
Isley Dixon, Skyline (Senior Midfielder, 2nd Team All-State)
Josie Carpenter, Twin Falls (Senior Defender, 2nd Team All-State)
Taylor Smart, Wood River (Junior Defender, 2nd Team All-State)
CLASSIFICATION OUTLOOK
Moscow hung on for a roller coaster ride of a state championship run at last year’s 5A tournament. The Bears, seeded fifth by MaxPreps, nipped fourth-seeded Middleton 1-0 in the opening round. Top-seeded Hillcrest came next in the semifinals, and after a 1-1 draw through two overtime periods, the Bears stunned the Knights 4-3 on penalty kicks to advance to the final.
Moscow’s title match with sixth-seeded Vallivue also reached double overtime, but junior Winnie Colvin scored the golden goal to propel the Bears to the 1-0 win.
Colvin is back in 2026 along with senior Mattea Nuhn, junior Hazel Stevens and sophomore Bailie Brown, giving Moscow a solid nucleus to build around.
Sandpoint joined Moscow at state from the Inland Empire League a year ago, and despite receiving the eighth-seed overall, the Bulldogs surged to the consolation final, where they fell to Skyline, 3-0. Seniors Izzy Stark and Jordyn Tomco, along with junior Willow Betz, will lead an athletic Sandpoint squad into battle this season.
Lewiston is another team to keep an eye on up north this year. The Bengals tied Sandpoint for second place in last year’s IEL standings, and senior Avery Lathen is one of the most prolific goal scorers in Idaho.
Vallivue advanced all the way to the state championship game, despite carrying the sixth overall seed into the tournament last year. The Falcons didn’t even win the District 3 tournament (Middleton did; the Vikings are now a 6A program).
Vallivue appears headed toward a soft rebuild, as six All-Southern Idaho Conference players depart via graduation. Sophomore goalkeeper Delaney Hughes is the only returning All-SIC selection for the Falcons.
So if Middleton is gone, and Vallivue is rebuilding, could Caldwell, Columbia or Skyview challenge for the top spot in the SIC? Skyview finished third a year ago, and three sophomores picked up All-Conference accolades. Top returnees for the Hawks include senior midfielder Lilly Hockenberry, junior forwards Mila Vanek and Nahlia Rodriguez, and junior midfielder Paisley Shumate.
Columbia has two talented juniors in forward Bailey Robertson and midfielder Brooke Henry. Caldwell returns five All-SIC players (headlined by seniors Ruby Balderaz and Breanna Gutierrez).
Mountain Home also joins District 3 this year after previously competing in District 4’s Great Basin Conference. The Tigers went 4-11-2 last year and are led by senior Phoenix Rodriguez.
Speaking of Mountain Home’s old home, Twin Falls was the lone representative of the GBC at state last year. The second-seeded Bruins shockingly went two-and-out, falling to Pocatello 2-0 and Skyline in overtime, 3-2.
Junior Ava Fleming was the GBC Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, and she’s joined by fellow juniors Lola Hudson and Addisen Kohring as All-GBC selections. Seniors Josie Carpenter and Izzy Pelayo also garnered All-Conference honors.
Wood River had a chance to advance to state, but fell to Moscow in a state play-in match, 3-0. Junior Taylor Smart was the GBC Defensive of the Year last year and is joined by senior Gracie Wallace and juniors Logan Higgins and Skyler Jensen as All-Conference returnees.
Jerome finished third in last year’s conference race and has sleeper appeal in 2026. Four All-GBC players are back for coach Ron Hanson: seniors Ailyn Trelles and Desiree White and juniors Macie Burton and Alyssa Jensen.
District 5 and 6 are combining into one conference this year. Hillcrest, Skyline and Pocatello all represented East Idaho at state in 2025. The Knights received the top overall seed and fell to Moscow in the semifinals on penalty kicks. However, Hillcrest rebounded to defeat Pocatello in the third-place match, 3-1. Pocatello was seeded seventh and upset second-seeded Twin Falls in the opening round, 2-0, before falling to sixth-seeded Vallivue in the semis, 2-0.
Skyline took the third overall seed to state and immediately fell to Vallivue, 3-2. The Grizzlies knocked Twin Falls out in overtime, 3-2, and wrapped up their tourney with a consolation trophy by blanking Sandpoint, 3-0.
Hillcrest welcomes back five seniors (Finley Belnap, Quincy Daw, Kenlee Jarrell, Raine Jarvis and Brinley Nelson) along with junior Olivia King. All six received All-Conference honors in 2025.
It’s not quite the haul that Hillcrest can claim, but Skyline returns three All-Conference performers this year: seniors Isley Dixon, Kate Johnson and Macy Marlow.
Pocatello might be in the best situation of all. Only two seniors graduated off of last year’s squad. Senior Aryanna Gonzalez scored 18 times for Poky last season and senior Brynlee Pool added ten goals. Pool led the Thunder in assists and was second in steals behind senior Camryn Tatom’s total of 65. Junior goalkeeper Madysen Torngren is also back after picking up All-State honors as a sophomore.
Other athletes to keep tabs on in District 5-6 this year are Blackfoot juniors Neitri DeGramo and McKenzie Scott, Bonneville seniors Aliyah DeArcos and Lia Hendrix, and Idaho Falls junior Macy Cook.
CLASS 4A
RETURNING ALL-STATE PERFORMERS
Payson Bratcher, Fruitland (Junior Goalkeeper, 1st Team All-State)
Karli Roubidoux, Fruitland (Junior Midfielder, 1st Team All-State)
Hannah Fisher, Kimberly (Junior Forward, 1st Team All-State)
Joy Hanchey, Kimberly (Senior Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Paige Birch, Sugar-Salem (Junior Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Andee Petterson, Sugar-Salem (Senior Forward, 1st Team All-State)
Wells Dolson, Sun Valley Community School (Sophomore Defender, 1st Team All-State)
Lilee Ward, Timberlake (Sophomore Forward, 1st Team All-State)
Paige Griggs, Emmett (Senior Forward, 2nd Team All-State)
Arabella Escalante Monreal, Fruitland (Senior Defender, 2nd Team All-State)
Sofie Vidlak, Fruitland (Sophomore Forward, 2nd Team All-State)
Cassidy Johnson, Kimberly (Senior Forward, 2nd Team All-State)
Ari Ricks, Sugar-Salem (Junior Midfielder, 2nd Team All-State)
CLASSIFICATION OUTLOOK
No one could stop Sugar-Salem in 2025. Just look at the team’s state tournament results. The top-seeded Diggers defeated eighth-seeded Timberlake, 5-0, fifth-seeded Fruitland, 7-1 and third-seeded Marsh Valley, 4-0.
The Diggers went undefeated a year ago, finishing 18-0. They outscored their opponents 150-7. They return Mountain Rivers Conference Offensive MVP, senior Andee Petterson, along with six other All-MRC selections: senior Alice Johansen and juniors Paige Birch, Hadley Chambers, Raegan Harris, Ranadi Rareba and Ari Ricks.
So can anyone stop Sugar in 2026? Teton (10-4-1 last year) and South Fremont (9-8-1) are best equipped among the District 6 schools.
The Timberwolves will lean on juniors Hallie Brown, Emberly Heuseveldt and Fatimha Munoz along with sophomore Hailey Hobbs.
South Fremont returns the conference’s Defensive MVP, senior Madilyn Parker, and five additional All-MRC players: senior Marely Lopez and juniors Ariah Green, Addison Pehl, Jaidyn Scollick and Zuri Tavarez.
On a statewide level, Marsh Valley ripped through the competition in District 5’s South East Idaho Conference. The Eagles went 8-0 in league play and 18-5-1 overall as Marsh Valley finished secondat state. Marsh Valley will have to replace five seniors, but junior Isabelle Bastian was one of Marsh Valley’s best scorers last season. That’s a good starting point. So is senior Zayli Merzlock, the returning goalkeeper.
American Falls also represented District 5 at last year’s state tournament. The Beavers played district rival Marsh Valley in the opening round at state, falling 6-0. From there, American Falls defeated Coeur d’Alene Charter in a tight loser out match, 1-0, before falling to Sun Valley Community School in the consolation final.
The Beavers will have to replace seniors Aliana Cruces (44 goals) and Jazzy Fonseca (18 goals) from last year’s team. The top returning goal-scorer is senior Natalie Castro, who found the net 11 times in 2025. They will also need to find a new goalkeeper after Stephanie Rosales graduated.
Fruitland has been a strong program for several years now in the Snake River Valley Conference, and the District 3 champs brought home the third-place trophy from state last year. Juniors Payson Bratcher (goalkeeper) and Karli Roubidoux (midfielder) were each named to the All-State 1st Team, while senior Arabella Escalante Monreal (defender) and sophomore Sofie Vidlak (forward) earned 2nd Team All-State honors. That gives the Grizzlies one All-State player at every area: on the front line, midfield, back row and in the net.
The Grizzlies were the only District 3 team at state last year, as McCall-Donnelly fell to Marsh Valley in a state play-in game, 2-1. The Vandals said goodbye to 10 seniors, but coach Mike Maini is confident in his team’s abilities once again this year.
“Our midfield will be very exciting to watch,” said Maini. “Our back line is strong and we have explosive forwards.”
Sophomores Lyric Albright and Windsor Albright, along with junior Anabell Gonda, will handle midfield duties for McCall-Donnelly. Senior Maya Anderton and sophomore Emily Bush anchor the back line. Senior Valerie Sofialy will lead the forwards.
Keeper is the only spot that is unsettled. “Defense will be key (this year),” Maini said. “The keeper position is going to be important.”
Homedale (10-5) and Emmett (8-8) each had winning records last year in the SRV, and 5A school Nampa successfully petitioned the state to move down to 4A in an effort to revitalize a struggling program.
Kimberly, the two seed at last year’s 4A tournament, was ready to give Sugar-Salem its best shot, but the Bulldogs fell one round shy of the final, as Marsh Valley knocked them off in the semifinals, 1-0. Kimberly then fell to Fruitland in overtime in the third-place match, 2-1.
The Bulldogs finished 19-4 a year ago and are once again among the favorites to finish atop District 4’s High Desert Conference. Forwards Cassidy Johnson (senior) and Hannah Fisher (junior) and midfielder Reagan Hufstetler (senior) are among the key returnees for coach Suzy Harper.
Kimberly’s top competition will be Sun Valley Community School. The Cutthroats went 16-6 in 2025 and brought home the consolation trophy from state. Despite graduating seven members off last year’s team, the Cutthroats are in good shape, according to Kelly Feldman, who is entering her 26th season as the girls soccer coach at the Community School.
“Our strengths are depth and experience,” said Feldman. “We return two of our top three goal-scorers (seniors Brynley Gage and Rylee Miller), experienced midfielders (led by Lucy Jones), All-State sophomore centerback Wells Dolson and senior goalkeeper Torin Vandenburgh."
“We need to stay healthy and injury-free,” she added. “We also need to successfully incorporate our new players into the team and into contributing roles.”
Among other teams in the conference, Buhl returns high-flying junior forward Pemberley Kimball, Wendell is hoping to climb up the standings with senior midfielder Angelina Scott and Bliss, behind the play of junior forward Madison Fisher, has been pegged by league coaches as a potential sleeper.
Up north, Coeur d’Alene Charter and Timberlake each qualified for state last year from the Intermountain League. Both went two-and-out, but both return All-IML players to build around.
Returning for Coeur d’Alene Charter coach Stacy Smith is senior Sierra Sheppard and junior Emily Tanneberger. Timberlake welcomes back senior Ali Grantham and junior Naomi Beuving.