Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Butte County
2. Grace
3. Challis
Written by: Will Hoenike
The 2A High Desert Conference is embarking on a reunion tour in 2026. And while it may not be the Jacksons’ “Victory” tour from 1984 or the “Hell Freezes Over” tour from the Eagles a decade later, it will reunite old friends on football fields across southeast Idaho.
The Challis Vikings, after a two-year sojourn to the 1A Rocky Mountain Conference, moved back up to the 2A (previously known as 1A Division 1) classification when the IHSAA examined enrollment numbers. It reunited the Vikings with the Butte County Pirates and the Grace Grizzlies, where the three programs represented the RMC together from 2020 to 2023 (Challis co-opped with Mackay High School in 2022).
From 2021 to 2023, the standings were the same: Butte County went 6-0 in conference play in that time, while Grace went 3-3 and Challis went 0-6.
GRACE
The Grizzlies are coming off a nine-win campaign in Travis Draper’s first season as head coach in 2025, reaching the 2A state semifinals. Draper’s task in year two is to reload while replacing the conference’s MVP (Gavin Draper), offensive player of the year (Bryant Moss), and defensive player of the year (Chase Smith).
“All eight seniors we graduated will be missed,” Draper said. “Their leadership, experience and dedication leave some big shoes to fill for our guys this year.”
Junior Kade Kimball figures to become a prominent figure in the Grizzlies’ offense this fall by moving to the quarterback position. He and senior receiver Keathan Edwards will give the offense a couple of playmakers, along with junior receivers Carter Meacham and Cole Barthlome. Senior Matt Tingey and junior Dylan Wood will compete for playing time at running back, with Ty Stoddard and Tate Stoddard waiting in the wings for their opportunity as well. Seniors Mack Jorgensen and Landry Crane will anchor the team’s offensive front.
The head coach and his staff like the pieces that return on the defensive side of the ball. Kimball (DB) and Jorgensen (DL) each earned all-conference honors last season and return to their spots this season.
“We may not be the biggest team out there, but I like the athletes that we have and their ability to line up in different schemes and attack from all over,” Draper said. “(Assistant) coach (Steven) Millward does an excellent job of having our defense ready each week.”
Tingey, Barthlome, Wood, and junior Luke Moss form a solid core at the linebacker position. The team’s defense held the opposition to fewer than 25 points per game last fall, a solid mark for the 8-man level, including five foes to eight points or fewer. The group seems well-positioned to be a strong unit again this season.
“Every year is a new opportunity for guys to step up,” Draper concluded. “It’s fun to see teams come together and gel at the right time. I believe that we will be able to compete at a high level and have a good time along the way.”
BUTTE COUNTY
The Pirates are coming off a tough season, which saw the team finish an unexpected 1-8, and long-time head coach Sam Thorngren left no stone unturned to right the ship in 2026.
“Our team culture slipped last season and nobody was blameless. That falls on coaches and players,” he said. “We had better participation in our summer speed and strength training programs. Hopefully we’ll see that translate into more success on the field this fall.”
The team lost veteran starting QB/DB Keaton Archibald shortly before the season opener last fall, and the domino effect was felt all season. In time, players settled into new roles, and the experience should benefit the entire program this fall.
The Pirates return senior running back Tegan Babcock, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season, along with a solid group of offensive linemen, including seniors Brendan Braga, Taine Hollist, Brodie Reynolds, and Garrett Waymire.
“That suits us just fine as we like to rely on our ground game,” Thorngren said. “The option will still be a part of our offense, but our focus this year is on improving our power running schemes.”
The team has depth at running back behind Babcock - Ethan Bogart, Caleb Brock, Logan Ellsworth, and Randy Anderson will all vie for carries when Butte County is on offense. The coaching staff wants more of a “bully mentality,” according to Thorngren, which relies on execution on each level of the offense.
The team would like to re-find its mojo on defense this fall as well. The usually-stingy Pirates allowed at least 50 points five times in 2025.
“I think we have the pieces to be good on defense, but we need to play with more discipline,” Thorngren said. “Understanding technique, knowing our keys and reads, and not freelancing will be our main focus.”
Braga (DL) and senior Cooper Williams (DB) received all-conference honors last season and return this fall. Hollist and Anderson will fill roles at defensive end and Babcock at linebacker, giving the coaching staff a good core of experience as the Pirates look to return to the top of the standings this fall.
“The pillars of our team culture are trust, effort, and discipline,” Thorngren said. “It sounds simple, but it requires showing up with the attitude that we are going to get better every day.”
CHALLIS
The Vikings tied for the 1A Rocky Mountain Conference title in 2025 and advanced to the 1A state playoffs. Head coach Les Webb and his staff will look to lead the team back to the postseason this fall at the 2A level with a young team once again, led by sophomore QB/LB Owen Thayn.
As a freshman, Thayn threw 16 touchdown passes and added another four scores on the ground. Defensively, he had 57 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
For the second year in a row, Challis will turn to a freshman running back. Gus Zerga earned All-Conference honors at running back and linebacker as a freshman. He rushed for nearly 700 yards and seven scores as a freshman, both tops on the team, while averaging nearly ten tackles per game on defense.
But Zerga moved away during the offseason, so Challis will lean on incoming freshman Karsen Shanafelt to run the ball. Shanafelt will also play in the secondary on defense.
The youth movement extends into the junior class, where all-conference lineman Jayden Taylor returns after collecting seven tackles for loss and four sacks last season. Another talented junior is WR/DB LJ Hutchison, who scored five touchdowns as a sophomore and averaged more than five tackles per game on defense.
Along with Taylor, junior OL/DL Alex Sariana, sophomore Cash Anthes, and sophomore OL/DL Seth Taylor figure to compete for key roles along the team’s offensive and defensive fronts in 2026.