Written by: Will Hoenike
You would have thought your Magic 8 Ball was defective if it told you the Rockland Bulldogs would lose their top two quarterbacks and still win the 1A Rocky Mountain Conference in 2024.
Yet that’s exactly what head coach Gerry Hunter’s team did. It wasn’t a stroll in the park. Rival North Gem, as usual, posed a serious challenge, as did Challis.
The Bulldogs have recovered from injury, though, and appear primed to make a run at a fourth consecutive RMC title. Once again, however, it most likely won’t be easy.
ROCKLAND
First, it was Xavier Parrish in the Bulldogs’ season-opening win over Camas County. Then it was Isaac Held in the team’s second game. Both out for most of the season due to injury. In stepped Zach Permann, who led Rockland to a perfect 4-0 conference mark and a first-round playoff matchup with Tri-Valley.
Parrish and Held are both back this season, allowing Permann to slide back to his natural position at running back, giving the Bulldogs a plethora of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Receiver Woodrow Lowder returns for his senior season as well for a team that isn’t shy about throwing the ball around.
“Injuries got us last year,” Hunter said. “The bright side is that we have young kids with game experience.”
Rockland also has an experienced offensive and defensive front, led by seniors Ethan Munk and CJ Wilson. Freshman Jack Woodworth should slide into the team’s lines on both sides of the ball. Senior Ethan Permann and junior Ty Woodworth return as starting linebackers for the Bulldogs, who open the season against a reborn Sho-Ban program at home on August 29.
NORTH GEM
While Rockland isn’t shy about throwing the ball, arch-rival North Gem isn’t shy about its offensive game plan, either.
“Our offense is a run-first, run-second, and run-third offense,” said long-time Cowboys head coach Corry Hatch. “We will run it on third-and-12 if we get the right look.”
North Gem must replace five departed seniors, including veteran quarterback Rusty Hatch, in 2025. Fortunately, the team returns dynamic, all-state fullback Craig Yost and starting offensive linemen Hyrum Barnes (Sr.) and Hayden Frandsen (Jr.) to spearhead the offense. Senior Lenny Hays also joins the program this fall after a solid spring season running track for North Gem, bringing much-needed athleticism to the roster.
With the number (and quality) of departing seniors from last year’s team, there are several position battles across the field in Bancroft leading up to the team’s season opener in Ogden, Utah, on August 22 against St. Joseph’s.
“I have learned that if we want to win games with such a small roster, we must have a good offensive line first,” Hatch said. “Therefore, we will build this up first.”
CHALLIS
When your head coach is looking to replace a player he calls “the best field manager and outstanding leader,” you know that player made an impact.
Challis head coach Les Webb spoke those words about graduated quarterback Jacen Farr. The Vikings come off an appearance in the 1A state playoffs and must find a replacement for, among others, Farr.
The good news is the team has a solid nucleus of returning players, led by explosive skill-position players Teage Erickson and Garrison Applegate. One of them could find their way under center. Or maybe someone else. Webb and his staff are still sorting it out headed into the team’s season opener against, like Rockland, the Sho-Ban Chiefs. Challis will play Sho-Ban on August 22 before the Chiefs square off with Rockland.
Wherever Erickson and Applegate line up in 2025, expect the duo to be key parts of the Challis game plan.
“Erickson and Applegate will score a lot for us,” Webb said. “We are small and faster than we have been in the past.”
The team welcomes a good class of freshmen who will have opportunities to earn roles on the field alongside Erickson, Applegate, senior Chayten Smith, and junior Jayden Taylor. Talented two-way player LJ Hutchison is among a group of solid sophomores who will compete for playing time as well.
WATERSPRINGS
Ben Hayes takes over as the head coach of the Watersprings Warriors in 2025, a team coming off a one-win campaign but returning a dynamic pass-catch combo of quarterback Korbin Nelson and receiver Ryan Demkowicsz. The pair both earned second-team All-Conference honors for their play last fall as juniors. Sean Perry, who is now a junior, also returns for the Warriors.
That’s the good news. The bad news? Hayes and his staff must find replacements for All-Conference performers Luke Henry, Bowdy Souza, Eric Barrientos, and Johnny Thienes.
The team’s offense showed great improvement as the season progressed in 2024, averaging over 41 points per game during the final five weeks of the season. A fast start in 2025, led by Nelson and Demkowicsz, could put the team in position to challenge for a 1A playoff berth. The season for Watersprings begins at home on August 29 against Richfield.
MACKAY
Head coach Ryan Huish and the Mackay Miners are coming off a 2024 season in which the team never quite got on track and graduated seven seniors, including veteran playmaker Taysen Bruley and all-conference lineman Teylor Rogers.
Huish is expecting a strong incoming freshman class to go along with several returning players who gained valuable experience last season. It should lead to better results in 2025.
“We have a burgeoning program this year,” Huish said. “We’ll have the most players and coaches this season that we’ve had in recent memory.”
Juniors Dax Teichert, Cooper Holt, Jesse Barger, Kyren Follett, and Lucas Hulse are among the players who will be counted on to fill larger roles for the Miners.
It’ll be a big challenge right out of the gates for the Miners as the team opens the 2025 campaign against perennial 1A power Dietrich on the road on August 29.
SHO-BAN
The Chiefs return to the field in 2025 under head coach Lawrence Nai, their first season of varsity football since 2019. The team will be seeking its first win since September 15, 2017, against Owyhee (Nev.).
Nai is excited to see how his team responds in its first season in several years.
The school’s boys basketball team won ten games last season, meaning talented athletes should be suited up for Sho-Ban when the team kicks off its opener on August 22 in Challis, including Sky Cree Medicine, George Tindore, and Terran Goodrider.