Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Pocatello
2. Preston
3. Century
Written by: Brandon Baney
Century navigated the regular season a year ago with little fanfare, but ultimately turned heads with a 28-14 win over Pocatello in the regular season finale. That gave the Diamondbacks the conference title, and they parlayed that win into a Cinderella run that saw playoff wins over Lakeland and Bishop Kelly.
Century’s season ultimately ended with a 27-22 loss to Emmett in a hard-fought semifinal game. That was followed by the exodus of 19 starters via graduation. Then head coach Travis Hobson left to become the new Athletic Director at Thunder Ridge.
What is left behind at Century, is a new coach, new players and a new outlook on the 2021 season. Logan Horrocks takes over after a five-year stint as the Defensive Coordinator at Jerome. He says despite all of the new faces, this group of Diamondbacks have really come together. “We have a bunch of great kids with that blue-collar mentality,” Horrocks said. “They show up, they work hard, they don’t complain, they go home, and then they do it all again the next day. We’re going into this year as under dogs and we are fine with that. Due to great senior leadership, this offseason is helping prepare our team for the upcoming season. That mentality, work ethic, and leadership will be the x-factor for us.”
Fortunately, the two starters who do return for Century this year are seniors McKean Romriell and Bruin Fleischmann. Romriell started at quarterback a year ago, and Fleischmann played a hybrid tight end-slot receiver position on offense, and contributed to the line on defense. That duo provides a nice foundation in the passing game, but Horrocks said the running game will be equally as important.
“We look to be balanced and take advantage of mismatches, whether that be on the ground or through the air,” Horrocks said. “Deon’Tae Lang is looking to bounce back from injuries and make some noise at the running back position.”
Defensively, Century’s strength is on the line. “Although we are young and inexperienced, we should have a solid front,” Horrocks said. “The strength of our defense lies in the front 4 to 7 guys. We will pride ourselves on stopping the run and forcing the offenses to beat us through the air. Karson Lindsay and Nash Harding will be the anchors up front. We will also pride ourselves on being very technically sound and working together as a defense to limit the offense’s ability to move the ball.”
Century will travel to Great Basin 7 Conference favorite Minico to open the year on August 20th. Century will also play Twin Falls and Canyon Ridge, Great Basin 7 schools Horrocks knows well from his time at Jerome. The Diamondbacks also take on 5A foes Highland and Idaho Falls, as well as conference games at Preston on October 8th and against Pocatello on October 22nd in the regular season finale.
“I’m excited to see how our kids respond to the competition,” Horrocks said. “We only have a handful of kids that have varsity experience from last year. I challenged them this offseason with camp and our strength and speed program and they responded. They not only grew mentally and physically, but also developed and grew as a team. I’m excited to see them play together and to see how they respond to adversity. I’m looking forward to proving everyone in the state who thinks we graduated all of our good players and we don’t have a chance wrong.”