These are the top 10 stories of the 2014-15 academic school year. What a year it was. Idaho State football reached levels it hadn’t seen for a decade, southeastern Idaho high school football achieved a pinnacle of greatness that still resonates today and a hall-of-fame coach fell to unexpected levels. It was quite the year for Gate City athletes as they left a permanent imprint on not only eastern Idaho but the entire state with their talents.

Truly, the 2014-15 academic school year was one to remember. These 10 stories captured our attention, moved us and compelled us. The power of sports extend to all walks of life. These tales showed us why.

1 — ELIJAH ARMSTRONG CEMENTS HIS SPOT IN HISTORY

It’s not hyperbole to write that Elijah Armstrong is the greatest prep runner in the history of Idaho. His senior year included, among other things, a cross country title, winning the 3,200 in the 2015 Simplot Games, finishing third in the Foot Locker National Finals, signing with Boise State and claiming three more track and field championships.

Since racing to a state title in the 1,600-meter race as a freshman, the heaviest of expectations were thrown upon Armstrong’s shoulders to handle. The pressure never cracked his shell, though, and he stayed utterly focused on his ultimate goal.

You see, Armstrong is proud of his 13 combined state titles between cross country and track and field (17 state championships if his four Pocatello cross country team titles are tossed into the mix).

But Armstrong’s vision of his future has always extended beyond high school — even college. He wants to run in the Olympics, an impossibly high standard to reach. Or at least it would seem that way.

Armstrong chose Boise State because he believes Broncos coach Corey Ihmels can help bridge the gap between where he is now and where he wants to go. Nothing has stood in Armstrong’s way to this point. Why assume anything is going to change?

2 — MARIA SANCHEZ MAKES MEXICO'S WOMEN'S WORLD CUP ROSTER

This one is still hard to believe. How exactly did Maria Sanchez make the Mexican Women’s National Team roster for the 2015 World Cup happening right now in Canada?

It’s the story of a lifetime.

Sanchez grew up in a single-story house in American Falls. The parents of immigrants, she learned the game of soccer on a field behind the middle school. She never paid for specialized coaching, expensive camps or club soccer to help her evolve. Sanchez picked up the game organically and by playing with her older brother.

That dynamic fostered a unique style all her own. It caught the eye of Idaho State coach Allison Gibson, who signed the Beavers graduate out of high school and inserted her immediately into the Bengals’ starting lineup.

Ten months later and Sanchez impressed another set of coaches — Mexico’s. Sanchez and her teammates take the field for their first game versus Colombia on Tuesday in a nationally televised game on FOX.

3 — IDAHO STATE FOOTBALL RESURGENCE

Preseason rankings? Legitimate hopes for a Big Sky championship? There’s a whole new feeling swirling around Idaho State football and Bengals head coach Mike Kramer is standing the middle of it all.

Kramer arrived in Pocatello four years removed from his last coaching gig at Montana State. But both at MSU and Eastern Washington before that, the longtime Big Sky coach was known as a man who could resuscitate football programs.

Idaho State was his biggest challenge. The 2014 season, however, proved to be a major breakthrough. The Bengals eradicated a 48-game road losing streak with back-to-back wins at Northern Colorado and Portland State, scored touchdowns like some teams pick up first downs and finished the season ranked 25th in the Sports Network FCS Top-25 poll.

With a bevy of returning offensive talent and a young, hungry coaching staff, ISU’s football future is filled with more than hope. Now there’s exciting possibilities and potential.

4 — EASTERN IDAHO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DOMINANCE

It started on a Friday when Highland and Snake River both traveled to Boise State’s blue turf and rolled to their 10th state high school football championships, the most of any schools in Idaho. West Side continued the party by winning the 2A title three days later.

It wasn’t just a special season of football because teams from this area claimed three of Idaho’s six state championships. There was great depth, too. Blackfoot, Rigby, Shelley and Aberdeen all reached at least the semifinals.

5 — TRISTEN HOGE GARNERS NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Highland senior Tristen Hoge morphed himself into arguably the most ballyhooed football recruit to ever come out of Idaho.

Rarely does a recruit from Idaho draw college recruiters like Hoge managed to. Before signing with Notre Dame as the nation’s top-rated offensive center, Hoge had scholarship offers ranging from BYU and California to LSU and Florida.

He could have gone anywhere he wanted and was a 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection, named to the 2014 All-USA First Team and Idaho’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

More importantly, Hoge won football games as a four-year varsity starter for Highland. The Rams went 41-5 during his tenure. He helped push the entire program forward.

6 — POCATELLO FOOTBALL COACHING SCANDAL

In September, a stir was caused during the high school football season when Tom Harrison, then Pocatello High School’s football coach, became absent from the sidelines.

Harrison was placed on leave from coaching because he allegedly verbally harassed one of his players, something Harrison has repeatedly denied. Harrison resigned in November and started a domino effect in coaching.

Century’s Dave Spillett took the job at Pocatello, and the Diamondbacks hired Shelley’s Travis Hobson, who had also applied to coach the Indians. Pocatello and Century are slated to play this season Thursday, Oct. 1. Who isn’t already excited for that one?

7 — GATE CITY'S PREP ATHLETES EMERGE AS THE STATE'S VERY BEST

If there was one storyline that snaked through the entire 2014-15 academic school year, it’s the tale of Pocatello’s exceptional senior class.

It goes beyond the athletes listed in this top 10 list. Tristen Hoge (Notre Dame football signee) and Elijah Armstrong (Boise State track and field/cross country) were phenomenal, but they’re just the start. Nine Gate City athletes signed Division I scholarships.

Some of their accomplishments: Century’s Kayla Ellis (Oregon State volleyball) was a two-time Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year, and she helped lead the Diamondbacks to a fifth straight volleyball championship. Ellis’ teammate, Henny Hearn (Montana basketball), won four titles in volleyball and was a key centerpiece for Century basketball, scoring 24 points in the 4A championship game.

Stefan Gonzalez (Saint Mary’s basketball) and Malek Harwell (Boise State basketball) both set school scoring records in basketball at Highland and Century, respectively, and national publications were falling over themselves to name either Gonzalez or Harwell as Idaho’s player of the year.

Whether it was Highland’s Kyler Manu (Washington football) or Maren Herrud (Southern Utah basketball) or Century’s Tanner Mauseth (Idaho football), Pocatello produced a crop of athletes that were rare and outstanding.

8 — STATE TITLE BLISS AT LAST

State titles always seemed to evade successful girls basketball programs at Century and Soda Springs. That is until this year when they each won state championships by deploying tenacious styles of play that wreaked havoc on opponents.

The Diamondbacks and Cardinals went a combined 45-7 during the season. Their will to win was validated by their state championship performances. Century rallied from nine down in the final minutes against Skyview to defeat the Hawks 70-63 in overtime. Soda Springs needed no such dramatics as the Cardinals played their best game of the season to knock off tournament-favorite Ririe 53-43.

It’s the first championship for both, but it’s hard to fathom it’s the last for either.

9 — TRUE WRESTLING EXCELLENCE

Whatever happens for the rest of their lives, Highland’s Tucker Leavitt and Snake River’s Treyton Nilsson will always have their 2014-15 wrestling seasons to reflect on.

They were one of a kind.

Leavitt, a junior, went 50-0 and won his second state wrestling championship. He’s the fifth Highland wrestler to ever finish a season undefeated.

Nilsson, a senior, was just as dominant, going 45-1 and claiming his fourth state title to become the ninth wrestler in 3A Idaho history to win four wrestling championships. Nilsson was also part of a Snake River team that won the school’s 12th state wrestling title.

10 — IDAHO STATE HEARTBREAK

Idaho State’s women’s sports had a spectacular year. They had MVPs, regular-season titles and breakthrough performances.

But, ultimately, no postseason championships and berths into the NCAA tournaments.

Idaho State’s softball and volleyball teams each topped the Big Sky Conference standings and earned the right to host postseason tournaments. And each lost in the tournament and watched a rival program celebrate a title on their floor or softball diamond. Even more frustrating, it was the third straight season that exact same scenario played out for softball head coach Julie Wright and the Bengals.

Don’t forget, the Idaho State’s soccer team upset top-seeded Montana in the semifinals of the Big Sky Championships, but couldn’t overcome Northern Arizona in the title match, a 2-1 defeat.

And talk about heartbreak, ISU football exceeded all expectations by contending for a conference championship. The playoffs, however, were just of ISU’s grasp — for the 32nd consecutive season.