Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Oakley
2. Raft River
3. Lighthouse Christian
4. Glenns Ferry
5. Murtaugh
Written by: Will Hoenike
Head coach Chad Evans’ Raft River team came close in 2020, reaching the 1A Division 1 state title game where, after splitting two earlier meetings, the Trojans were defeated by conference rival Oakley. The team comes into 2021 looking to take that one additional step to bring home the school’s sixth state title in football.
The Trojans will have to replace big-play running back Ethan Bernad, voted first-team All-State by coaches around Idaho after amassing over 2,000 total yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Fortunately, Thaine Loughmiller returns for his senior season after earning second-team All-State honors despite sharing the backfield with Bernad last season. That’s right, Raft River had two all-state backs in the same backfield.
“Our strength has always been our run game. We have always been able to go nose-to-nose with people and run at them,” Evans said. “We will put a lot of effort into our pass game this year, we should be a lot more balanced between run and pass to keep teams guessing.”
Junior Tate Whitaker is primed to take the role of passer for the Trojans with senior tight end Seth Tracy and junior Gabe Briggs figuring to be prime pass-catching targets. Senior Davin Jones, who earned honorable-mention All-Conference honors last season, will spearhead the offensive line for a team that scored over 500 points – an average of 49 per contest.
The program’s junior class, including Whitaker and Briggs, will “make waves from day one,” according to Evans. The group also includes RB/DB Kole Spencer, RB/LB Alex Murrilo, and LB Treg Whitaker.
With Loughmiller, Tracy, Murillo, and Treg Whitaker at linebacker on defense, the group appears deep and talented. Senior Maison Whitaker (there are four Whitakers on the Raft River roster) will anchor the team’s defensive line and the fourth Whitaker, Tegan, returns for his senior season in the Trojan secondary. The team only allowed two opponents to score more than 26 points last season and, both times, it was Oakley, including 52 points in the state championship game.
So, while coaches and players may be focused on the mantra of ‘one game at a time,’ fans around the Malta community, proudly wearing their Raft River shirts, likely have October 22 already circled on their calendars. That’s when Oakley comes to town to close the regular season and it’s possible that playoff seeding will be squarely on the line when the two teams break the huddle that night.
One team in the Snake River Conference is guaranteed a playoff berth. However, others can earn spots through a ranking system. Last season, Raft River earned the conference's automatic berth and was the no. 2 overall seed in the 1A Division 1 playoffs. But four more teams – Oakley, Grace, Murtaugh, and Lighthouse Christian – earned bids. Five of the twelve playoff teams all came from the same conference. Raft River looks like a strong contender for a repeat appearance in the postseason.
“This group of kids has always played well as a unit, even clear back to pee-wee and junior high, they just play well together,” Evans said. “We need to stay positive with each other and take the bad with the good. If everyone will tune in, mentally, I believe our physical abilities will speak for themselves.”