Photo By Loren Orr - #28 Ian Arellano
Written By: Sven Alskog
Tim Brennan has led Bishop Kelly to five state title game appearances in the last six years, as the Knights continue to consistently sit towards the top of the 4A classification.
Last year Hillcrest knocked off Brennan’s group 55-21 in the state championship game, leaving the group hungry for more in 2019. Skill position standouts such as quarterback Beau Nelson and running backs Ian Arellano and Jackson Huskey are eager to get the new season underway to create a different narrative this time around.
Arellano ran for over 1,400 yards during his junior campaign, developing quickly into one of the more explosive playmakers out of the backfield in Idaho.
While there is excitement over what does return, two key losses occurred over the summer when Matt Heffner and Cam Morrison went down to injury, meaning some new faces will also see increased responsibilities.
“Every year is new with kids and to watch them grow. We are younger with less experience than last year,” added Brennan.
Other notable returning starters are Coleman Froehike on the offensive line and Taylor McAlvain at outside linebacker.
“We will be young, but we do have some good athletes coming up,” said Brennan.
Tyler Garrehy is one of the players that the coaching staff is excited to see develop on both sides of the ball. On offense, Garrehy will team with Nate Johnson and Kepa Guerricabeitia to form a quality tight end trio. Defensively, watch for him to make a major impact from the outside linebacker position.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Knights plan to be aggressive and disciplined, hoping to take advantage of mistakes from their opponents.
One of the big question marks with the graduations of Luke McLaughlin and Adam Nichols from the defensive end positions is who gets pressure on the quarterback and protects the corners on outside runs. Guerricabeitia is one piece who will get plenty of opportunities on the defensive line. Seeing who else steps up around him will be a critical element to defensive success for Bishop Kelly.
Last year should provide everyone within the program plenty of confidence after that group made it all the way to a state championship appearance despite losing 13 First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention All-Conference selections from the prior season.
There won’t be much time to get things figured out this year, as the Knights host a challenging Nampa team right out of the chutes in week one and then head over to Caldwell to battle quarterback Lan Larison and the Vallivue Falcons in week two.
Expect one of the things that will keep Bishop Kelly tough each week to be the ability for the team to control the ball and not shoot themselves in the foot.
“We will be balanced on offense between passing and running,” said Brennan, who also says one of the major areas of emphasis this offseason has been coming together as a team.
In Brennan’s 23 years on the sideline the Knights have gone an impressive 198-52, meaning that when this group reaches two wins the legendary coach will hit the 200-win mark.