Player of the Year

Sr. Tommy Jewell, QB, Highland

Offense

Kaden Schmitt

Senior quarterback

Shelley

    Schmitt did everything his coaches asked him as he led the Russets to their second straight state title. The senior threw for 2,394 yards and tossed 30 touchdowns.

    “Kaden played well and played consistent,” said Shelley head coach Travis Hobson. “You were going to get everything he had and he was going to do what you expected him to do.”

Thad Hansen

Senior running back

Highland

    Highland head coach Gino Mariani said Hansen was the first thousand-yard rusher Highland has had in a while. The senior racked up 1,244 yards and nine touchdowns on 169 attempts (7.4 yards per rush).

    “He had a great year for us,” Mariani said. “He's just a multifaceted athlete who was able to do a lot of things out of the backfield.”

Connor Montgomery

Senior running back

Firth

    The Cougars had an experienced offensive leader to lean on in the 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior. Montgomery rushed for 1,761 yards on the season and guided Firth to a third-place finish in the state tournament.

    “He was like a coach on the field,” said Firth head coach Keith Drake. “He was able to get us in the right sets and knew the plays and blocking schemes by heart.”

    “Connor is very tough, elusive kid to tackle,” said West Side head coach Tyson Moser. “He's very hard to tackle with just one guy by himself. He's someone that your entire team has to focus on.”

Scott Kuhn

Senior utility

Century

    The swift-footed Kuhn played many roles for the Diamondbacks as he lined up at receiver and running back, taking handoffs and catching passes all over the field. The three-year varsity starter ended the season with over 600 yards rushing and 479 receiving. He scored 12 touchdowns.

    “I don't think there's a quicker kid in the entire state,” said Century head coach Dave Spillett.

    “He's a very good athlete. Once you got him the ball, he made a lot of big plays,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani.

Mason Spillett

Senior wide receiver

Century

    At 5 foot 8 and 145 pounds, Spillett played a big game. The senior led Century in receptions with 70 and totaled 722 yards on one of the state’s most explosive offenses.

    “He was a guy that (quarterback) Shane (Rominger) really trusted when we needed to move the chains,” said Century head coach Dave Spillett. “He was really lacking in size, but once his body matured he turned into a playmaker for us.”

Nate Page

Senior tight end

Highland

    The Senior Ram played a crucial role in Highland’s balanced attack, both as a receiver and a blocker. Page had 16 receptions for 308 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 19.3 yards per reception. He will sign with Idaho State in February.

    “He is a big, physical kid who really became a great blocker for us,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “He made some great big catches early on in the season.”

Tristen Hoge

Junior offensive lineman

Highland

    The Idaho Gatorade Football Player of the Year was the anchor for everything the Rams’ offense did. At center, the junior protected the quarterback with vicious force and helped open up huge holes for Highland’s running backs. Hoge has verbally committed to Notre Dame.

    “He's just a big, physical specimen who you know exactly what you're going to get every play,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “He’s going to come with a finish and he does a great job of directing traffic at the line of scrimmage.”

Bo Burrup

Senior offensive lineman

Highland

    The senior protected quarterback Tommy Jewell’s blind side all season and was a key cog in leading Highland to the state title game. Burrup is currently on an LDS mission in Baltimore and will play baseball at BYU upon his return.

    “Bo is the same type of player (as Tristen) in that he's going to be very physical at the point of attack,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “He just kind of has a nasty mean streak in him.”

Jake Lind

Senior offensive lineman

West Side

    The senior was a two-year starter for the Pirates and a force for a team that was a contender at state each season, reaching the state semifinals in 2012 and the championship game in 2013.

    “He's the leader of our line,” said West Side head coach Tyson Moser. “We've not had one bad snap in two years.”    

Kolton Schultz

Senior offensive lineman

Century

    The 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior is a three-year varsity starter for the Diamondbacks and has given up just four sacks in that time frame. Schultz played a key role at left tackle for Century’s potent offense.

    “He's the reason Shane (Rominger) was safe for us all year,” said Century head coach Dave Spillett. “He's one position that we didn't have to worry about. He’s very strong and very athletic.”

Coltyr Brewington

Senior offensive lineman

Firth

    The senior Cougar led a relentless rushing attack that was one of the best in the state. At 6 foot 2 and 255 pounds, Brewington dominated defenses in the 2A classification.

    “For his size, he could run with linebackers,” said Firth head coach Keith Drake. “That's what allowed us to get that edge and get that seal.”

    “He's just a a tough kid,” said West Side head coach Tyson Moser. “He's the single most physical lineman that we played all season.”

Dallan Rodriguez

Senior kicker

Highland

    The senior accounted for 78 total points on the season as he hit 57 of his 61 extra point attempts and seven field goals. Rodriguez also pinned opponents at their 20-yard line or worse on almost every kickoff.

    “He has a very accurate and very strong leg,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani.

Defense

Kaigan Young

Senior defensive lineman

Highland

    The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior was the anchor of an stalwhart defense that led the state in points allowed per game at 13.3. Young also earned second team all-state honors for his performance during the 2013 season.

    “He made a lot of plays on the outside for us,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “He really kept his ground, got after the quarterback on passing downs and was a catalyst for us on defense.”

Trevor Smith

Senior defensive lineman

Shelley

    The Russets’ defense gave up 9.8 points per game during the team’s run to a championship season, and the senior was a big reason why. The 5-foot-11, 240-pound lineman was a disruptive force for Shelley.

    “He was the guy who made our defense tough,” said Shelley head coach Travis Hobson. “He drew double teams nearly every down.”

Dallan Bingham

Junior defensive lineman

Firth

    In his first year as a full-time starter, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior established himself as a defensive force for the third-place-finishing Cougars. Not only was Bingham adept at stopping the run, he knocked down a number of passes as well.

    “He's just improved so much form his sophomore year to his junior year,” said Firth head coach Keith Drake. “He has really good reach with his arms so lineman have a hard time getting up into his pads.”

Neils Stegelmeier

Junior defensive lineman

West Side

    The Stegelmeier name is well-known in Southeastern Idaho when it comes to football. The 6-foot, 205-pound junior tallied 114 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks for the state-runner up Pirates.

    “Neils picked up where his brother (Paul) started last year,” said West Side head coach Tyson Moser. “For a defensive lineman, he's off the ball very quick which makes him really tough to block.”

Kyler Manu

Junior linebacker

Highland

    The first-team all-state honoree recorded 92 tackles, 4.5 for loss, three interceptions and forced three fumbles during the 2013 season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior was one of the best players on a very talented Rams squad.

    “Kyler is a fantastic linebacker who moves extremely well side to side,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “(He) is as tremendous a hitter as there is in high school.”

Austin Ferguson

Senior linebacker

Century

    Described as the “heart and soul of our defense” by head coach Dave Spillett, the 6-foot, 205-pound senior racked up 61.5 tackles, nine for loss, three sacks and one forced fumble for the Diamondbacks.

    “He'll make plays for us sideline to sideline,” Spillett said. “He was like having a coach on the field and was going to make a play every down.”

Danny Rasmussen

Senior linebacker

Highland

    The three-year starter had a stellar senior season as he had 82 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and three interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Rasmussen was key in Highland’s run to the state title game.

    “Danny is a solid player, a very physical kid who just makes plays all over the field,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani.

Kylar Haddon

Senior linebacker

Blackfoot

    The do-everything Haddon was a constant for the Broncos during a down year. At 5 foot 11 and 205 pounds, the senior produced for Blackfoot and forced offenses to account for him every play.

    “Anytime you’re going up against a tough player you want to try and scheme against him and run away from him,” said Preston head coach Nick Hyde. “He played a big part in our game against them.”

Tyler Holm

Senior defensive back

Century

    The 5-foot-9, 140-pound senior was one of the most active and athletic players on the Diamondbacks’ outstanding defense. He recorded 48.5 tackles and returned three of his five interceptions for touchdowns.

    “He's the best corner I've ever coached, and I haven't seen a corner better than him in a long, long time,” said Century head coach Dave Spillett. “The quarterbacks that decide to test him, it never turned out in their favor.”

Greg Gwinn

Sophomore defensive back

Highland

    Starting since he was a freshman, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore established himself as a shut-down defender during the 2013 season. Gwinn had five interceptions and 47 tackles for the best scoring defense in the 5A classification.

    “Greg was probably one of the best athletes on the field,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “I go back to try to figure out why teams picked on him. They see he was a sophomore, but they usually lost when they picked on him.”

Jackson Thompson

Junior defensive back

Firth

    The 5-foot-11, 165-pound junior nabbed three interceptions for the Cougars and was crucial in yet another playoff run.

    “He's a dangerous player,” said West Side head coach Tyson Moser. “He's a really good lock-down corner.”

    “We played a lot of man coverage and we put him on the best receiver,” said Firth head coach Keith Drake.

Reece Ravsten

Senior punter

Century

    The Diamondbacks didn’t punt the ball much, but when they did the 5-foot-11, 190-pound punter pinned opponents deep in their own territory. He had five kicks inside the 3-yard line.

    “He was instrumental in helping (Century’s) defense put teams in a long field situations,” said Highland head coach Gino Mariani. “That just helps you get the ball back.”

Second-team offense

QB Shane Rominger, Sr., Century

RB Christian Atkinson, Sr., Highland

RB Trevor Montes, Sr., West Side

WR Logan Fackrell, Sr., Century

WR Brody Hubbard, Sr., Malad

TE Dalton Nelson, Sr., Shelley

OL Cole Harker, Jr., Shelley

OL Tanner Mauseth, Sr., Century

OL Matt Wells, Sr., Shelley

OL Kaden Miles, Sr., Firth

OL Nolan Fay, Sr., Pocatello

K Abraham Torres, Jr., Aberdeen

Second-team defense

DL Jake Deollos, Sr., Aberdeen

DL Chase Bartschi, Sr., Soda Springs

DL Kade Paulsen, Sr., Century

DL Lincoln Archibald, Sr., Shelley

LB Brad Coombs, Sr., Snake River

LB Trevor Montes, Sr., West Side

LB Coby Roholt, Sr., West Side

LB Reece Ravsten, Sr., Century

DB Karson Alder, Sr., West Side

DB Treyton Palmer, Jr., Pocatello

DB Angel Chavez, Sr., Highland

P Hunter Belnap, Sr., Soda Springs

Honorable mention offense

QB — Griffin Green, Sr., Malad

RB — RB Landon Hayes, Sr., Soda Springs; Remy Lambson, Sr., Century

WR — Kaden Ockey, Sr., Highland; Josh Peterson, Sr., Shelley

TE — Kasey Keetch, Sr., Bear Lake

OL — Jose Sarabia, Sr., Highland

Honorable mention defense

DL — Brenden Flores, Sr., Century; Coulton Trumbell, Jr., American Falls

LB  — Haydyn Walker, Sr., Shelley; Caleb Williams, Sr., North Gem

DB — Andy Whittier, Sr., Century; Taylor Lund, Sr., Shelley; Caston Holbrook, Sr., North Gem