Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Sandpoint
2. Lakeland
3. Moscow
Written by: Brandon Baney
Like so many high school football programs in 2020, the Moscow Bears were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summer, Moscow High announced that they would only participate in intramural sports, and would forego their traditional varsity seasons.
After athletes, parents and fans all protested, the school board reversed its decision, and by late September, Moscow was able to salvage what could have been a lost season.
Moscow didn't make their season debut until September 25th last year, and went 3-1 during their shortened regular season. Their lone loss came to Sandpoint 31-21, and cost the Bears a chance at the Inland Empire League regular season title.
Moscow hit the road for their postseason opener, and defeated Great Basin 7 Conference champ Jerome 47-6. That set up a quarterfinal showdown with league rival Sandpoint, and for the second time, the Bulldogs proved to be too strong, ending Moscow's season at 4-2 with a 31-13 win.
Three-year starting quarterback Chad Redinger departed in the offseason, as did Idaho's top-rated prospect in the Class of 2020: linebacker Jonah Elliss, who took his talents to the University of Utah.
Despite those losses, Moscow head coach Phil Helbling is excited about the players that are returning in 2021. "We are going to be extremely young," Helbling said. "I'm excited to see what some of our incoming sophomores (Dom Hutton, Ebby Qualls and Elijah Elliss) can do for us."
Junior Dom Hutton takes over the quarterback position, and will lean on returning starters Isaiah Murphy at running back and Cody Isakson at wide receiver. "We are a spread offense," Helbling said. "We like to attack you horizontally and vertically. We want to play quick and allow our playmakers to make plays for us."
The Moscow defense is facing a similar dilemma in 2021. "We will be youthful on that side of the ball," Helbling said. "Most of our experience will be in the secondary with Leon Hutton, Cody Isakson and Dylan Decker. We must find some key contributors at the linebacker and defensive line positions."
Helbling is counting on Micah Elliss, Dom Hutton and Nick Miller to provide solid play on the defensive line. Isaiah Murphy will lead the linebackers.
Overall, with such a young team, and a two-game conference schedule, Helbling knows the margin of error is small. "The key to our success will be keeping guys healthy," Helbling said. "With a small roster we need to find success early and be able to keep our guys healthy."