Follow @Idaho8Man on X for updates, news and info about all things 8-Man football!
Listen to the weekly Idaho 8-Man PrepCast
Previous 3-Star Columns:
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
Week Eight
1. Jarrett Keen, Deary
The two-way junior standout provided a marquee effort in a big win over rival Genesee on Friday, rushing for 249 yards and three scores while passing for 106 yards and two more. His second TD pass was the game-winner with 29 seconds to play.
2. Madden Perkes, Carey
Coming off the team’s first loss of the year, Perkes keyed a bounce-back win over Salmon River Friday afternoon with 211 yards and two touchdowns rushing on offense, along with six tackles and an interception on defense.
3. Tayson Pollock, Potlatch
Pollock, a sophomore, made his first start at quarterback on Friday and responded with 14 completions for a whopping 425 yards and four touchdowns in a come-from-behind win over Clearwater Valley.
Honorable Mention:
Teagan Babcock (Butte County)
Beckett Beyer (Coeur du Christ)
Damian Nuno (Cascade)
Conner Christensen (Clearwater Valley)
Bryce Hanson (Dietrich)
Rhett Fackrell (Garden Valley)
Noah Bollman (Genesee)
Jace Leavitt (Hagerman)
Greyson Denney (Hansen)
Cooper Smith (Idaho City)
Lawson Landmark (Kamiah)
Hank Heimgartner (Kendrick)
Chase Brown (Lapwai)
Ryan Heida (Lighthouse Christian)
Cooper Holt (Mackay)
James Dalton (Raft River)
Xavier Parrish (Rockland)
Hayes Pratt (Salmon River)
JJ Whiteman (Sho-Ban)
Hinder Hurst (Troy)
Blayne Jarvis (Valley)
Tristan Lee (Watersprings)
Back In The Game
During Dietrich’s loss on Friday, sophomore Bryce Hanson took the field and kicked a point-after-touchdown for the Blue Devils. While PAT kicks are uncommon in the 8-man game, what made this one exceptional is this - just over a year ago, Hanson broke his neck in two places and injured his spine during a game. He left the field in an ambulance, was airlifted to Boise for surgery, sent to Utah for rehabilitation, and faced an uncertain future. But just over a year later, he was in uniform and on the field. He hasn’t been fully cleared for all action on the football field, but he was cleared for limited duty. So head coach Garrett Astle found a way to get No. 80 on the field for Dietrich. Fittingly, Hanson successfully knocked the kick through the uprights. There is hope he will be able to fully participate in basketball this winter for the Blue Devils.
Oh No, Not Again
For the second straight year, the 2A Western Idaho Conference regular-season champ was crowned on the field in Idaho City. And, for the second straight year, it wasn’t Idaho City. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Garden Valley senior linebacker Rhett Fackrell led a charge to stop Idaho City running back Cooper Smith at the line of scrimmage on the game’s final play, and the Wolverines stopped the Wildcats just inches short of what would have been a walk-off touchdown. Garden Valley won, 38-34, to clinch the WIC title, earning an automatic berth into the 2A state playoffs. Last year, the visiting Notus Pirates celebrated a WIC title following an equally thrilling 42-34 win on Idaho City’s home field. Last season’s loss knocked Idaho City out of the playoff race. This fall, the Wildcats enter next week’s finale at Notus ranked No. 11 in the latest MaxPreps rankings, meaning they still have a chance to reach the postseason.
Also In
The Prairie Pirates have also secured their spot in the upcoming 2A playoffs. The Pirates, who had a bye on Friday, are 3-0 in Whitepine League play, with Kamiah and Potlatch close behind at 2-1. However, Prairie has already defeated both, giving them the head-to-head tiebreaker with just one week remaining in the regular season. In 1A, both Carey (Sawtooth) and Kendrick (1A Whitepine) have clinched their respective conference titles.