IDAHO STATE JOURNAL ALL-AREA FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
Tanner Mauseth
Century
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Mauseth gave up two sacks as a three-year starting tackle for Century. The future Idaho Vandal who is 6 foot 7 and 270 pounds was sneaky athletic and a cornerstone of the Diamondbacks.
Quotable: “He’s legit. Very big and physical. For a big guy, he’s got good feet.”
— Nick Hyde, Preston head coach
Clay Hirschi
Highland
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Hirschi protected Highland quarterback Dakota Tillotson’s blind side. Like his teammate, Tristen Hoge, Hirschi was a finisher who helped the Rams pick up 4,889 yards of offense.
Quotable: “He was tenacious in what he did. ... He’ll play to the whistle. A lot of other kids started to pick that up. They would want to get into the action.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Tristen Hoge
Highland
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: No single player dominated his position quite like Hoge, the 2014 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year for the second straight season. Hoge started all four years at Highland and is one of the most ballyhooed football recruits in the state’s history.
Quotable: “(Gino Mariani) has had great success here. ... And Tristen is one of those young men that we feel stacks up with the very best in the country.”
— Brian Kelly, Notre Dame head coach
Porter Thomas
Snake River
Junior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Snake River had five different running backs rush for at least 230 yards, and the Panthers threw for another 1,570 yards. All of the offensive success came down to Porter Thomas and his teammates along the line, a dominant, versatile group.
Quotable: “We had no one who could get a pass rush. Athletically, I had no answer for Thomas. His combination of his size and athleticism, that kid was rough on us.”
— Travis Hobson, Shelley head coach
Mason Gittins
West Side
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Gittins combined with the 2A player of the year Neils Stegelmeier to plow ahead, helping West Side rush for 2,995 yards in 2014. The Pirates scored on 55 out of 102 offensive drives.
Quotable: “When he hits you, you feel it. He’s a great pulling guard. He’s got good feet and is very physical.”
— Tyson Moser, West Side head coach
Matt Peterson
Blackfoot
Senior wide receiver
The lowdown: One of the elite deep threats in the state, Peterson demanded a double team and the opposing defense’s best cornerback. And that only gave the other side a slim hope to slow him down. Peterson had 896 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns.
Quotable: “Watching previous film, just talent alone we knew we were going to have our hands full.”
— Nick Hyde, Preston head coach
Tamalii Campbell
Highland
Senior wide receiver
The lowdown: Between receiving, rushing and returning both punts and kickoffs, Campbell had 1,583 total yards and 17 touchdowns. Every time the senior touched the ball, he was a threat to score.
Quotable: “He's just a game changer. He changed the dynamics of field position so quick. He was phenomenal.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Pacen Hayes
Blackfoot
Sophomore quarterback
The lowdown: Hayes’ improvement from his freshman to sophomore season was palpable. The 6-foot-2 quarterback, who completed 73 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns, has all the tools and intangibles to become an all-time great at Blackfoot.
Quotable: “He was phenomenal, especially for a young kid. He sat back there very poised. ... When you watch film, you’re like ‘wow.’”
— Nick Hyde, Preston head coach
Wyatt Beckstead
West Side
Senior running back
The lowdown: Beckstead was West Side’s go-to running back. He was not flashy, but he was a physical, bruising runner who plowed ahead for 958 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Quotable: “He’s not super big but he’s just a hard working, tough-nosed kid. He’s going to give you everything he’s got.”
— Jeff Duffin, Aberdeen head coach
Garret Christensen
Highland
Senior running back
The lowdown: As a junior, Christensen was a solid backup for the Rams and strictly a north-south runner. But as a senior, Christensen blossomed into one of the state’s very best. He ran for 1,165 yards and 17 touchdowns and had another 490 yards and six touchdowns receiving.
Quotable: “If you would have told me Garret Christensen would have scored 23 TDs and had more than 1,600 yards, I would have told you that you were crazy. ... He could run, catch and block.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Wyatt Vogler
Snake River
Junior running back
The lowdown: The 3A player of the year ran for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, and that was just part of the junior’s impact on the game. He had another four touchdowns receiving and two touchdowns in special teams.
Quotable: “I don’t think people understood exactly how fast he was. I’ll go back and watch film, and people would think they’d have the edge and he’d find another gear.”
— Jeff Dalley, Snake River head coach
Connor Atkinson
Highland
Junior kicker
The lowdown: Atkinson kicked eight field goals and 65 PATs and ensured the Rams could always come away with points in the red zone.
Quotable: “He got better at kickoffs as the season went on. He was putting things in the end zone at the end of the year.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
IDAHO STATE JOURNAL ALL-AREA FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
TJ Togiai
Highland
Senior defensive lineman
The lowdown: One of the strongest defensive lineman Highland has ever had, Togiai dominated the competition in his senior year. Togiai finished with 52 tackles and six sacks.
Quotable: “He had a year where he was just physically manhandling people.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Wayne Kirby
Highland
Junior defensive lineman
The lowdown: Whatever can be said of Togiai is also true of Kirby, who picked up 49 tackles and four sacks and was part of a Rams defense that will go down as one of the school’s very best.
Quotable: “Wayne had the same type of strength (as Togiai) but was so fast and quick that people couldn’t block him.
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Neils Stegelmeier
West Side
Senior defensive lineman
The lowdown: Stegelmeier was constantly double-teamed but still led the Pirates with 89 tackles. He was named the 2A player of the year and was part of a defense that held opponents to 11.58 points per game.
Quotable: “You just had to account for him because he was a physically tough kid. He was smart. He read our traps phenomenally well and he was a big problem just because of his style of play — and it’s smart play.”
— Jeff Duffin, Aberdeen head coach
Cooper Anderson
Highland
Senior defensive lineman
The lowdown: Anderson was the unsung hero of Highland’s defense and helped ensure the Rams had the best front seven in Idaho.
Quotable: “Two-year starter. He used his quickness and his speed. For his size, he was still very physical.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Kyler Manu
Highland
Senior linebacker
The lowdown: Manu entered the season still working his way into shape after dealing with a broken collarbone in the offseason. It didn’t take long before he was back playing at the level that drew such heavy interest from the likes of Wisconsin and Washington, where he has verbally committed to play next season.
Quotable: “When we went against him in practice, you couldn’t block him.”— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Damon Dance
Snake River
Senior linebacker
The lowdown: Dance put on 20 pounds in the offseason and developed into one of the state’s top linebackers. Dance had 49 tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven interceptions, six sacks and four forced fumbles for one of the state’s best defenses.
Quotable: “The kid is a freak. I haven’t seen a kid that can cover from sideline to sideline as well as he can. You don’t see those guys very often.”
— Travis Hobson, Shelley head coach
Hillario Carrillo
Aberdeen
Junior linebacker
The lowdown: Carrillo, a junior, tormented opposing offenses in 2014. He had to be accounted for on every play and still ran up 104 tackles, 13 sacks, 34 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. As if that wasn’t enough, Carrillo had 1,295 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.
Quotable: “The kid is a monster.” — Coda Tchida, Malad head coach
“Our entire offense had to change to deal with him. He just comes so hard and reckless.”
— Tyson Moser, West Side head coach
Si Hoskins
Blackfoot
Senior defensive back
The lowdown: Hoskins picked off six passes and returned two for touchdowns for the Broncos, who held teams to 14.8 points per game. The senior also had 38 tackles.
Quotable: “He led our team in interceptions. He came up with a lot of big plays.”
— Stan Buck, Blackfoot head coach
Brittan Bell
Highland
Junior defensive back
The lowdown: If Highland had one weakness defensively, it was supposed to be in the secondary. But Bell quickly snuffed that out. The 5-foot-9, 150-pound safety made big plays when the Rams needed it, and that was a big help defending the running game.
Quotable: “As small as he is, he’s a big hitter. He was a sure tackler, and that was the best thing that I liked about him.”
— Gino Mariani, Highland head coach
Derek Checketts
Malad
Senior defensive back
The lowdown: Checketts was a three-year starter for the Dragons and was his very best as a senior, finishing with 96 tackles and six interceptions. Checketts was also a star for Malad on offense with 440 yards and five touchdowns through the air and 577 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Quotable: “Emotional leader of our team and really had been since his sophomore year.”
— Coda Tchida, Malad head coach
Bracken Nelson
Shelley
Senior defensive back
The lowdown: The intellectual leader of the Russets, Nelson had 64 tackles and three interceptions at safety. Plus, the senior had 313 yards and two touchdown receptions for Shelly on offense.
Quotable: “He might be the most competitive player I’ve ever coached. There are very few people like him.”
— Travis Hobson, Shelley head coach
Treyton Palmer
Pocatello
Senior punter
The lowdown: Palmer was indispensable for the Indians as a roll-out punter, and was also the team’s offensive MVP. Palmer finished the year with 1,200 all-purpose yards and had 10 total touchdowns. Blackfoot was the lone team to try and return a Palmer punt. It went for 3 yards.
Quotable: “We’d roll out and it helped us defensively because ... it’s a low line drive and it gives our return team time to get down there.”
— Willie Walker, Pocatello interim head coach
IDAHO STATE JOURNAL ALL-AREA FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
Cole Harker
Shelley
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Harker was a star for Shelley on both sides of the ball. Russets coach Travis Hobson called him a pit bull. He helped open the way for Shelley to pile up 2,017 yards on the ground. As a linebacker, Harker finished with 97 tackles and seven sacks.
Chandler Ellis
Snake River
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Ellis maintained a low center of gravity at guard and was a force for the Panthers as they won a 10th state football championship.
Connor Butterfield
Highland
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Highland took advantage of Butterfield’s athletic ability at right guard and regularly had the senior pull to get ball carriers around the corner. He was great with combination blocks.
Tayson Reid
Preston
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: A three-year starter, Reid was an elite offensive and defensive lineman who has drawn interest from the likes of Weber State and Southern Utah. At left tackle, Reid led the Indians in pancake blocks and also had 62 tackles, six sacks and 10 tackles for loss on defense.
Caden Palmer
Aberdeen
Senior offensive lineman
The lowdown: Palmer was Aberdeen’s senior leader at center and made all of the Tigers’ line calls. Palmer was first-team All-Idaho on both offense and defense, helping Aberdeen reach the 2A title game for the first time since 1978.
Logan Schmidt
Highland
Senior wide receiver
The lowdown: When Highland needed a first down, the Rams dialed up a play for Schmidt. The senior caught 46 passes for 460 yards and six touchdowns.
Braxton Clark
Malad
Senior wide receiver
The lowdown: Clark was a one-year varsity starter for the Dragons, and he made the most of his opportunity. Clark caught 42 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns and had another 214 yards rushing.
Jason Hathaway
Shelley
Senior wide receiver
The lowdown: Russets coach Travis Hobson said he hasn’t seen another player who can stick his foot in the ground and switch directions as fast as Hathaway, who compiled 1,380 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns.
Peyton Brown
West Side
Junior quarterback
The lowdown: The son of West Side’s defensive coordinator, Tyler Brown, Peyton Brown has grown up around football. As a junior, he added a new dimension to West Side’s traditional, run-heavy offense, throwing for 1,437 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Jackson Thompson
Firth
Senior running back
The lowdown: Thompson did everything for the Cougars. He ran for 1,122 yards and nine touchdowns, and was also a shut-down corner on defense.
Damon Bodkin
Blackfoot
Senior running back
The lowdown: Bodkin was one of Blackfoot’s leaders on its way to a 4A District 5-6 title and loss in the state title game. Bodkin ran for 765 yards and seven touchdowns and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.
Joseph Lemos
Aberdeen
Sophomore kicker
The lowdown: Aberdeen coach Jeff Duffin said Lemos is relentless in his practice routine, and the sophomore is quickly developing into one of the state’s best kickers.
IDAHO STATE JOURNAL ALL-AREA FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
Dallan Bingham
Firth
Senior defensive lineman
The lowdown: Bingham was a load to handle with his long wingspan and brute strength. The senior led Firth with 70 tackles.
Tyrel Jensen
Snake River
Senior defensive lineman
The lowdown: Jensen had 43 tackles, seven tackles for loss and eight sacks for Snake River. He blew up opposing offensive lines and let the Panthers linebackers roam freely to wreak havoc.
Stetson Nielson
Aberdeen
Junior defensive lineman
The lowdown: Nielson is just going to keep getting bigger and stronger, and that’s a terrible thing for the rest of the 2A classification. As a junior, the 6-foot-3, 215 pound lineman totaled 81 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and 16 tackles for loss.
Jeremiah Staples
Pocatello
Senior defensive lineman
The lowdown: With a non-stop motor, Staples led the Indians with 12 sacks and also had 44 tackles. Staples gave everything he had all season for Pocatello.
Connor Moon
Century
Senior linebacker
The lowdown: The Diamondbacks relied on Moon as the leader of their defense, despite a shoulder that popped in and out throughout the season. Moon had 89 tackles, four sacks and 17 tackles for loss.
Kellen Wadsworth
Highland
Senior linebacker
The lowdown: Teams would try and avoid all-state linebacker Kyler Manu, but they’d just run into Wadsworth instead. Highland coaches would have to tone down practices at times when Wadsworth and running back Garret Christensen started to get after it.
James Ryan
Highland
Senior linebacker
The lowdown: Ryan might be the best defensive player in the state no one knows about. “If you look at what he did on the inside, it was incredible,” said Highland coach Gino Mariani. “He put more guards and centers on their back than anyone we’ve ever had.”
Ethan Williams
Highland
Senior defensive back
The lowdown: Williams’ pick-six against Mountain View in the 5A championship game flipped a 28-14 game into a 35-14 blowout. And it showed how much Williams had improved over the entire season.
Jared Carrasco
Aberdeen
Junior defensive back
The lowdown: Carrasco is the heir apparent at quarterback for the Tigers, and he’s already one of the top defensive backs in the 2A 5th District. The junior had 32 tackles and three interceptions in 2014.
Payden Dalley
Snake River
Senior defensive back
The lowdown: Dalley, a three-year starter, had 21 tackles and three interceptions for Snake River, and was part of a senior group that bought into the weight room in the offseason.
David Serna
Snake River
Senior defensive back
The lowdown: Snake River coach Jeff Dalley said Serna, pound for pound, is one of the toughest, strongest players he’s ever coached. Serna had four interceptions and was part of a defense that forced 66 three-and-outs.
Theron Wallentine
Bear Lake
Sophomore punter
The lowdown: Wallentine, who was also Bear Lake’s starting quarterback, booted deep punts and helped the Bears win the field-position battle time and time again.
IDAHO STATE JOURNAL ALL-AREA FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE
Hayden Painter
Grace
Senior offensive lineman
Isaac Tafoya
Bear Lake
Senior offensive lineman
Ben Kestner
Pocatello
Senior offensive lineman
Preston Radford
Century
Senior offensive lineman
Mitch Guiberson
Highland
Senior offensive lineman
Kam Farnsworth
Highland
Senior tight end
Jarom Campos
Pocatello
Sophomore wide receiver
Rex Permann
Rockland
Senior utility
Sean Miller
Snake River
Junior quarterback
Jantz Ebanez
West Side
Senior running back
Tristan Kayembe
Century
Junior running back
IDAHO STATE JOURNAL ALL-AREA FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE
Alex Iszler
Pocatello
Senior defensive lineman
Bridger Steele
Bear Lake
Junior defensive lineman
Josh King
West Side
Junior defensive lineman
Kade Jorgensen
Grace
Senior linebacker
Keaton Wardle
Blackfoot
Senior linebacker
Christian Vaughn
Century
Senior linebacker
Michael Gallegos
Malad
Senior linebacker
Dylan Jorgensen
Pocatello
Junior defensive back
Dallin Fryar
Preston
Senior defensive back
Wyatt Bowles
West Side
Senior defensive back
Marcos Huerta
Century
Sophomore defensive back