Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Rocky Mountain
2. Mountain View
T-3. Kuna
T-3. Timberline
5. Capital
6. Meridian
Written by: Lucas Gebhart
State championship contender Rocky Mountain headlines the 6A Southern Idaho Conference Foothills Pod, but it was Timberline who ended up making last year’s state championship game with its senior-heavy roster.
With Centennial moving to 5A, the SIC reshuffled the pods a bit entering the new season. Mountain View and Kuna move from the River Pod to the Foothills pod while Middleton moves from the Foothills pod to the River Pod.
TIMBERLINE
Timberline is coming off its first state championship appearance in school history but graduates one of the school’s best senior classes.
The class was headlined by three DI commits – offensive tackle Andre Price, now at Hawaii, Jack Brant, now at UC Davis, and speedster, Hudson Lewis, now at Oregon.
Brant and Lewis made up one of the best quarterback-wide receiver combinations in Idaho and helped lead Timberline from a one-win season three years ago, to a six-win season two years ago and eventually, last year’s 10-win season, Timberline’s best record ever.
Brant finished as one of Idaho’s top quarterbacks, throwing for over 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns while Lewis finished as the state’s second leading receiver with over 1,000 receiving yards and 14 scores.
The elephant in the room now is how does Timberline replace the best offensive production the school has ever seen?
“We will discover our strengths over time,” head coach Ian Smart said. “We have a lot of kids that will work to earn a spot and prove they can be playmakers.”
Smart points to a few candidates, including tight end Hayden Hills and running back Brody Engroff, to step into offensive leadership roles.
On defense, the Wolves return several contributors to a unit that gave up less than 20 points per game.
“We have a lot of returning snaps in our defensive backfield that should give us some confidence,” Smart said. “We also have some dynamic returning defensive linemen that could make big plays for us.”
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Rocky is new head coach Gary Thorson’s second stop in Idaho after quickly rebuilding a struggling Ridgevue program. In just one season, he took Ridgevue to its first state playoff appearance and logged the school’s first ever winning season.
But Thornson has some big shoes to fill, taking over for Scott Criner, who led the Grizz to the school’s first state championship in 2015 and was the offensive coordinator for two other championship teams. As he fades into retirement he will go down as one of Idaho’s best high school coaches.
Thornson takes over a Rocky program that Criner helped build into a true blue-blood and is a program that regularly sends talent to the DI level.
Last year alone, Rocky sent four-star offensive lineman Jax Tanner to BYU, defensive end Rowan Rupp and wide receiver Resean Jones to Boise State and tight end Drew Byrd to Iowa State.
This year, the Grizz return six all-league players, including Eastern Washington signee Kaden Solecki at guard, quarterback Kaelan Custer and running back Oakley Baxter.
The Custer-Baxter combo makes up the deadliest rushing attack in Idaho. The two each rushed for over 900 yards last season and ranked as Idaho’s third and fourth leading rushers and are the state’s top two returning rushing leaders entering the new season.
The pair headline another talented group of athletes that make Rocky a clear state title contender.
MOUNTAIN VIEW
Mountain View graduates Idaho’s passing leader, Henry Nelson, and the state’s sack leader, Riggins Stoor, who helped Mountain View finish as Idaho’s best scoring defense. The duo collected both the pod’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards and helped lead the Mavs back to the state quarterfinals.
Head coach Brian Compton didn’t make it clear who would take over at quarterback, but
Logan Pichardo figures to slide into the lead running back role. The senior is coming off an all-conference honorable mention junior season, serving as a complimentary back to three-year starter Valentine Gomez-Ricks. When Pichardo was given the opportunity, he didn’t disappoint and finished the season as Mountain View’s leading rusher with over 600 yards.
“We have a deep running back core,” Compton said. “We have multiple quarterbacks who can throw the football, an athletic offensive line and are deep, strong and athletic.”
CAPITAL
Capital graduates one of Idaho’s best quarterback in Brayden Dudley, who finished second in the state in passing yards, and returns two of the state’s best receivers in Elliot Schrack and Quincey Clay.
Schrack and Clay make up Idaho’s best receiving core entering the fall. Both players are heading to DI football programs and are Idaho’s top two returning wideouts in terms of total receiving yards. Schrack finished his junior season with over 1,000 yards and has signed with Idaho while Clay finished his sophomore season with nearly 850 yards and holds several DI offers from schools like Washington, Minnesota and Utah.
The offensive firepower propelled Capital’s offense and the Eagles scored nearly 37 points per game, becoming the highest scoring offense in the SIC and one of the best offenses in Idaho. But with a defense that also surrendering over 30 points per game, the Eagles finished .500 and fell victim to an early playoff exit.
With former head coach Kevin Hastin taking the Meridian head coaching position, Capital is swinging the coaching pendulum to the defensive end, hiring former defensive coordinator, Matt Jackobsen. Jackobsen spent six seasons as Capital’s defensive coordinator under former head coach Todd Simis and was part of three state runner-up finishes.
KUNA
After starting seven freshmen in 2025, Kuna returns one of the more experienced rosters in the SIC.
With the SIC’s only four-year starter at quarterback, Lino Senio, and one of SIC’s best returning running backs, new head coach Josh Bravo believes Kuna is ready to make a leap.
“This year we saw a huge uptick in development during the offseason, and we have seen glimpses of results during camp,” Bravo said.
Kuna’s shifty running back, DJ Governor, is coming off a strong junior season that landed him on the first-team all-conference list. Paring Governor with a bruising running back like Kale Plummer is giving Kuna one of the best running backs duos in the pod and a “perfect one-two punch.” The returning offensive talent makes Kuna a popular breakout candidate.
MERIDIAN
Meridian is on its third head coach in three seasons after former head coach John Zamberlin stepped down after the 2024 season. His replacement, Christian McAlvain, lasted just one season before stepping aside. McAlvain is now on the coaching staff at Owyhee.
New head coach Kevin Hastin came to Meridian from Capital, where he led Idaho’s second highest scoring offense.
Seniors Leo Klinger and Griffin Sanders are both returning All-SIC players. They are both expected to contribute at tight end and linebacker for Meridian.