If there was doubt on the best 5A conference in Idaho, this year’s playoffs may have eased that. Rigby defeated Highland in the state title game, a pair of Eastern Idaho powerhouses from District 5-6 dueling it out for the championship.

Coming as no surprise, a number of Trojans made the all-conference teams, which were chosen by the conference coaches. Rigby quarterback Tiger Adolpho was player of the year. Armando Gonzalez was coach of the year. And defensive lineman Damien Walker was defensive player of the year.

And from Highland, quarterback Jack Whitmer was named the offensive player of the year after completing almost two-thirds of his passes for over 2,200 yards while running for over 900 yards and scoring a combined 31 touchdowns.

The first-team selections from Highland included:

WR Raimon Barela — A 5-foot-6 senior, Barela transformed into Highland’s top receiver this season with 65 catches for 875 yards.

OL Kyler Williams — He was a 255-pound hydraulic press at right tackle that helped opened up the Rams’ rushing attack.

DL Kody Colvin — Opposing quarterbacks still probably have nightmares about Colvin, who led the Rams with 16.5 tackles for loss and a dozen sacks.

LB Mason Fullmer — He led Highland in tackles, walloping any ball carrier that broke past the line of scrimmage.

DB Adam Jones — Tasked with covering opposing team’s best wide-out, Jones defended eight passes and came up with a pair of interceptions.

K/P Ian Hershey — The senior may have become the state’s best kicker after playoff run that included two game-winning field goals and an Idaho-record 58-yard blast.

The Rams’ second-teamers were:

RB Eli Parrish — A shifty senior, Parrish was the Rams’ best running back. He carried the ball 120 times for almost 900 yards and nine scores.

RB/Returner Jaxson Shuman — He averaged over 20 yards per kickoff return and was the Rams’ second-leading receiver.

TE Colton Sneddon — A 6-foot-2 target for Whitmer, he came up clutch when the Rams needed it most, catching all three of his touchdowns in the playoffs.

OL Mason Summerill — A stout force playing right guard, the Rams’ senior was instrumental in creating the push Highland needed up the middle.

OL Payton Harding — At 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, Harding was a sturdy force opposite Summerill that helped give the Rams confidence in short-yardage situations.

DL Sloan Lambson — He was a tornado spiraling around the field all season. The senior had 13.5 tackles for loss and more than a half-dozen sacks.

LB Colton George — Just a sophomore, George solidified a starting job with phenomenal instincts. He forced and recovered a team-high three fumbles while racking up over 90 tackles.

And the honorable mention selections from Highland were: OL Ian Allen, OL Gavin Butler, WR Ezra Godfrey, RB Jackson Riddle, DB Campbell Thomas, DB Jaxon Sibounma, LB Lucas Barker, LB Gunner Wilheim and DL Drew Roberts.