Written by: Dan Hubbard
The 2024 season did not go as most followers of District 5 would have expected. A combination of Pocatello and Century struggling to meet expectations, along with Preston’s young sophomore quarterback getting his varsity feet under him, led to surprises in the final outcome. The Indians ended up beating both conference opponents head-to-head, which propelled them to the district crown.
PRESTON
The legend of Preston quarterback Carter Perry continued to grow—from cancer survivor prior to his freshman year to leading the state in passing in 2024. Perry finished the year with over 2,300 passing yards, completing 59 percent of his passes and tossing 22 touchdown passes.
However, the likelihood of a sequel happening in Preston will require a lot of work—and some luck as well. Late in the 2024 school year, the Preston coaching staff was relieved of its duties. Adding to that, Perry—the do-everything signal caller—transferred out of town, heading south to Green Canyon High School in Logan, Utah, for his final two years. Along with Perry, the Preston offense will need to replace three of its leading receivers (Cruz Harris, Reggie Larson, and Jake Schumann), all of whom graduated after helping lead the Indians to another state basketball title in the spring.
New head coach Brandt Reese will have plenty of questions to answer but will also inherit a solid group of returning players. Leading rusher Connor Iverson, who rushed for 922 yards and seven touchdowns, returns for his third year at the varsity level. Preston will also return the bulk of what was a strong offensive line, which showed the most growth a year ago. They will need to protect likely quarterbacks McCoy Keller and Conner Thomson, as the team will lack depth at that position. Junior receiver Kylton Atkinson is the only returning starter among last year’s wideouts.
The defense will be anchored by a group of linemen who will play on both offense and defense. Khai Phillips, Richie Cunningham, Garrett Judd, and Blake Christensen make up a young and tough front line. The Indians have plenty to build on, as the entire group consists of underclassmen.
With the growth the roster showed last year, the Indians still have a great shot at winning the District 5 title for the second year in a row.
POCATELLO
The Pocatello Thunder found themselves in an interesting spot last year. For the fifth straight season, they wrapped up with a record at or above .500. But in the tight, three-team 5A Southeast Idaho Conference, splitting their two league games meant a second-place finish. A first-round playoff loss to Bishop Kelly ended their run, but the Thunder still closed the books at 5-4.
Head Coach Dave Spillett is all-in on the future, saying he’s “really excited about the opportunities this group has in front of them. We will have many young players that will have opportunities to step up and be big-time playmakers for us under the Friday night lights.”
And there will be plenty of opportunities. With key standouts like QB Hunter May, Jett Mechling, and Kache Stucki graduating, Spillett has some reloading to do. The plan? Let the young guns take the stage.
This year on offence expect a balanced attack with home-run potential. Junior Isaac Allen takes the reins at quarterback, surrounded by an exciting cast of receivers. Sophomores Josiah Harry, Kellin Walker, and Caden Butterfield bring speed and youth, while juniors Spencer Kent and Kyle Covey add experience to the mix.
In the backfield, junior J’Vion King will be the workhorse early on, looking to set the tone with hard-nosed runs.
Defensively the Thunder will bring a hard-hitting, swarm-the-ball mentality. At linebacker, junior Bear Spillett will be calling the shots, with junior defensive back Cowen Gummersall patrolling the secondary.
In the trenches, the coaching staff is eager to see what the youth movement can do. Freshman Cooper Cordell, sophomore Cheeko Sio, and juniors Charlie Gonzalez, Sam Braunersrither, and Aaron Shreeve are expected to make their presence felt.
Bottom line, as Coach Spillett sees it: “Look for a high-energy, tough, and relentless group of great young men going into battle each week. If we can get to a point where we are playing fast, clean football extremely violently while having fun, it will be a good year for us.”
CENTURY
The Century Diamondbacks are hoping 2025 isn’t a rerun of recent history. After back-to-back winless seasons and a 17-game skid, they’re hungry to turn the page.
It won’t be easy. With only 12 seniors returning, head coach Ryan Fleischmann will lean on a young roster to spark a turnaround.
The bright spot? Running back Tito Villano. The now junior workhorse carried the rock 156 times for 639 yards and four scores last season. Stronger, faster, and another year wiser, Villano’s ready to up those numbers.
The big question: who’s under center? With Deagon Crabtree graduated, three players who saw limited time last year will battle for the job — though they combined for just eight completions and 47 yards in 2024.
One thing working in Century’s favor: the schedule. Their opponents finished last season 16 games under .500. If the breaks bounce their way — and Fleischmann’s squad puts in the work — the D-backs might finally have the makings of a comeback story.