Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Rockland
2. Mackay
3. North Gem
T-4. Sho-Ban
T-4. Watersprings
Written by: Will Hoenike
When the final whistle of the regular season blew on October 24, 2025, the 1A Rocky Mountain Conference had three teams with identical 4-1 conference records. Challis had beaten North Gem. North Gem had beaten Rockland. And Rockland had defeated Challis.
In the past, the three teams would meet somewhere and play a Kansas City tiebreaker until a winner was determined. But those types of tiebreakers, for the most part, have gone the way of the VHS tape. You don’t see ‘em much anymore.
Challis won the paper tiebreaker and qualified for the 1A state playoffs. Rockland and North Gem, despite matching conference records and superior overall records, turned in their pads.
The 2026 version of the RMC appears to have similar competitive balance, though Challis has moved up to the 2A classification. However, Mackay, Watersprings, and Sho-Ban are all ready to take their shot to join the chaos this fall.
ROCKLAND
The Bulldogs finished 6-3 overall, losing non-conference games to Murtaugh and 1A champion Carey, along with the RMC loss to rival North Gem. Head coach Gerry Hunter, who is nearing ten years atop the Bulldogs’ program, returns a solid group of playmakers and figures to be in the mix for the conference title once again in late October.
Leading the way is one of Idaho’s most explosive players in senior Zach Permann. Last fall, he rushed for 1,390 yards and 19 scores while collecting 66 receptions for 1,043 yards and 12 scores through the air – he averaged over 300 yards per game in all-purpose yards – while making 80 tackles with four interceptions and four fumble recoveries on defense en route to all-state honors.
He’s joined by fellow seniors Xavier Parish and Ty Woodworth.
“Mix that in with three sophomores who got lots of playing time as freshmen due to injuries, along with a solid group of incoming freshmen that went undefeated last year in junior high,” Hunter said. “That is a solid cake mix that we are super excited about.”
Sophomores Donny Garner (WR/DB) and Jack Woodworth (OL/DL) are primed to fill big roles for Rockland this fall. The team welcomes an incoming freshman class of seven players (the school’s enrollment is roughly 60 students), which could give the team the ability to battle one of the toughest opponents of all.
Injuries.
The team has battled a significant injury bug over the last two years, which has negatively impacted the short-term outlook but has buoyed the long-term outlook by giving additional players valuable experience heading into this fall.
“These boys have each other’s backs and have worked hard in the offseason to make for a great year,” Hunter said. “These guys played on a state championship basketball team (1A championship in March 2026) and want to carry this into our football season.”
NORTH GEM
North Gem, like its rival Rockland, is a small school. One of the smallest to field its own football team, in fact, with about 40 students in the high school. That doesn’t stop the Cowboys from being a tough and feisty foe, though.
“A hallmark of our program is our durability,” said head coach Corry Hatch. “We play every week. We play no matter the circumstances. We play for our program and for our teammates.”
You could take the second part of Hatch’s statement and replace the word “play” with “run” and it would be every bit as accurate. North Gem runs the ball, and it doesn’t matter who knows.
“We will run the ball all the time. Our option attack assumes that our opponent is bigger, stronger, and faster than we are,” Hatch explained. “Our goal? Cancel the defensive line. We are always the smaller team, both in roster size and stature; this doesn’t mean we can’t win.”
The Cowboys have to replace dynamic ball-carrier Craig Yost, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards last season and topped 100 yards in seven of the team’s nine games. Sophomore Clay Johnson, who rushed for more than 900 yards and 18 touchdowns as a freshman, will assume the role of quarterback and will have big senior fullback William Wakely next to him in the backfield. The team’s offensive line is young but has solid experience. Sophomore Brian Egley is expected to be the team’s center with sophomore Trayson Harding and junior McCoy Frandsen lining up at the guard positions.
Junior Stockton Wright and freshman Porter Hatch will also compete for roles on the field this fall.
“We are young, but we have been on the field. The battle will not be new to us, but shouldering the load will be a new experience for some,” Hatch concluded. “If we are able to master the timing and reads, we are a very dangerous team.”
MACKAY
Mackay has a new man calling the shots this fall as Justin Ivie will take over; while he’s new to the high school football program, he is not new to Mackay football or athletics in general. He has coached the school’s co-op baseball program with Challis and has coached the Miners’ middle-school football team for seven years.
“I coached our seniors in eighth grade, the juniors for two years, the sophomores for three years, and the incoming freshmen for two years,” Ivie said. “Because of those relationships, they already understand my expectations, coaching style, and football philosophy. That familiarity will make the transition into my first season as head coach much smoother.”
The program has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough the past two seasons. Is 2026 the year it happens?
The top three tacklers, in terms of tackles per game, return this fall: sophomore Grayden Bruley (10.9 per game), senior Cooper Holt (6.9 per game), and senior Dax Teichert (5.1 per game) are back. Bruley, junior Roy Jones, and senior Kyren Follett combined to rush for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense. Three of the team’s top four pass-catchers (Bruley, Holt, and Teichert) return. Key two-way lineman Lucas Hulse is back. Bruley and Jones both have experience at quarterback.
The pieces are there. So what pushes the Miners across the line and into the 1A playoff picture?
“Our success will depend on staying healthy, playing disciplined football, and continuing to improve every week,” Ivie explained. “If our seniors lead by example and our younger players continue to develop, we'll give ourselves a chance to compete every Friday night.”
WATERSPRINGS
The Watersprings Warriors are coming off a one-win season and come into 2026 with the option of perspective.
The good news – the Warriors only graduated three seniors from last season’s team, meaning there is good returning experience.
The bad news – those three seniors (Korban Nelson, Ryan Demkowicz, and Jacob Gardner) were important, productive players.
Head coach Ben Hayes returns as the program’s head coach, and he brings back some talented pieces. Senior Wyatt Iraola is coming off a fantastic 2025 season that saw him earn all-conference honors at both running back and linebacker. On offense, Iraola led the team with 489 yards and eight touchdowns rushing, both of which were team highs. He also pulled in 22 receptions for 478 yards and four more scores. When you factor in special teams contributions, Iraola had nearly 1,200 all-purpose yards, which also led the team. He also led the team in tackles on defense (80), including 15 tackles for losses, a pair of interceptions, and two sacks.
Also back this fall is senior QB/DB Sean Perry, a versatile athlete who already holds offers to compete collegiately in track and field. Despite missing several weeks due to injury, he passed for 521 yards and six scores while rushing for 238 yards and three scores. Junior tight end Tristan Lee can provide big-play ability in the passing game. Junior Daniel Grijalva will be joined along the offensive and defensive lines by sophomores Rosten and Caleb Lee as well as sophomore Zac Olsen.
“I’m most excited about this team building an identity for itself this year,” Hayes said. “This group of players has had lots of guys to look up to in the past, but it is time they build an identity for themselves.”
SHO-BAN
Adam Reed shifts from top assistant to head coach of the Sho-Ban Chiefs, who look to continue forward momentum built in 2025, the Chiefs' first full varsity season on the football field since 2019. While the season did not result in any wins on the scoreboard, opposing teams were impressed on a weekly basis by the energy and enthusiasm brought to the field by the Chiefs.
Now with a year of experience under their collective belts, the players should see more positive results. Senior Sky Cree Medicine, a three-sport standout, returns, as do productive juniors AJ Graves and Zane Tohtosni. The latter two each picked up touchdowns in an early-season matchup with North Gem, the team’s lone true home game of the season in Fort Hall.
The team’s roster listed 17 players last fall, only three of whom were seniors, which means Reed should benefit from an overall increase of experience across the field this fall.