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Previous 3-Star Columns:
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
1. Cooper Miller, Wallace
Miller completed 14 of 22 passes for 259 yards and four scores in Friday’s win over Clark Fork. He also rushed for 101 yards and another touchdown. His final touchdown pass on Friday was the 100th of his high school career, and he’s just a junior.
2. Brandt Jones, Valley
The Viking senior, like his team, is authoring a strong finish to the regular season. Jones rushed for 270 yards and five touchdowns and passed for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a key win over Shoshone.
3. Xavier Parrish, Rockland
Parrish passed for 285 yards and six touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ win over Mackay on Friday. He also added 92 rushing yards and a touchdown as Rockland moved to 7-0 on the season.
Honorable Mention
Madden Perkes (Carey)
Chase Derrick (Cascade)
Owen Thayn (Challis)
Liam Walle (Clearwater Valley)
Liam Anderson (Coeur du Christ)
JR Conaway (Council)
Jarrett Keen (Deary)
Ryder Christianson (Dietrich)
Payson Kelly (Garden Valley)
Brayden Spriggs (Glenns Ferry)
Jackson Banks (Genesee)
Zander Cenarussa (Hagerman)
Orion Stewart (Kendrick)
Jereese McCormack (Lapwai)
Slater Kuther (Lewis County)
Ryan Heida (Lighthouse Christian)
Grayden Bruley (Mackay)
Jeremiah Perry (North Gem)
Kyler Horning (North Star Charter)
Mark Lungu (Notus)
Kohl Beck (Oakley)
Brody Mitchell (Potlatch)
Payton Stamper (Prairie)
Treyce Ward (Raft River)
Kooper Torgerson (Richfield)
Hayes Pratt (Salmon River)
JJ Whiteman (Sho-Ban)
Daniel Larios (Shoshone)
Wyatt Iraola (Watersprings)
Lance Bryce (Wilder)
But Wait, There’s More
The top-ranked team in 2A, Hagerman, came into Friday with five wins in six games and averaged nearly 50 points per game, and the Pirates did the lion’s share of that work without first-team, all-conference running back Casen Knight. The junior played sparingly over the first six weeks due to an injury, but returned to action in Friday’s win over Glenns Ferry. Knight carried the ball four times for 107 yards and scored twice—another weapon for a potent Pirate lineup. Senior Zander Cenarussa has been magnificent in Knight’s stead – rushing for over 500 yards and ten touchdowns for Hagerman, who is now 6-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Let The Conversation Begin
You could argue that both of Idaho’s 8-man Players of the Year live along Interstate 90 in District 1. Wallace’s Miller in 2A has passed for over 2,500 yards with 29 touchdown passes while also rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and another 11 scores. Meanwhile, in 1A, Coeur du Christ’s Grant Clemens is approaching 2,000 yards passing with 27 TD passes and is tied for the team lead with four interceptions on defense. There is no shortage of viable candidates in each classification, but Miller and Clemens (both juniors) have especially strong cases.
A Little Context
It’s been a tough fall for the 2A Murtaugh Red Devils, who fell to 0-7 (0-5 in Snake River Conference play) with Friday’s loss to Oakley. However … consider this - if the season ended today, six of Murtaugh’s seven opponents would qualify for the postseason, and four of the team’s seven losses are by ten points or less: 2, 2, 8, and 10. Another likely playoff foe awaits; Murtaugh hosts Butte County (4-3, 1-0 High Desert Conference) on Friday.