Preseason Coaches' Poll
T-1. Marsh Valley
T-1. Snake River
3. American Falls
Written by: Brandon Baney
As Cory Hollingsworth enters his fourth season as head coach at American Falls, you can see the progress the program has made in that time.
Hollingsworth orchestrated similar turnarounds at Firth, Aberdeen and West Jefferson in his career, and last year took the Beavers to the postseason for the second time in three years.
American Falls punched their ticket to the playoffs with a 36-34 win over Marsh Valley in the regular season finale. Then the Beavers came within an eyelash of defeating South Fremont in their postseason opener. The Cougars won a tight one 27-23 and went all the way to the semifinals.
Needless to say, optimism is high at American Falls in 2021, and it starts with the return of a very talented group of offensive linemen. "Our offensive line is going to be very tough," Hollingsworth said. "They are big, tough and have worked extremely hard in the weight room."
The line will feature seniors Sam Ortega, Braxton Kunz and Mario Rojas, along with junior Adrian Vega. Seniors Alexis Rios and Juan Rosales will also contribute up front from the tight end position.
That unit will be in charge of protecting senior quarterback Paddy Harwood, who is entering his third season as American Falls' signal caller. "We need more big plays," Hollingsworth said. "We are looking to be more explosive this year."
The defensive side of the ball is where American Falls could take their biggest leap in 2021. "Our defense is looking for a great deal of improvement from last year," Hollingsworth said. "We want to be more physical and disciplined than we have been."
Sam Ortega will anchor the defense from the middle linebacker position. He'll be joined by Rios and Juan Rosales, and the defensive line will feature Kunz, Vega and Mario Rojas.
The schedule will be a reunion tour of sorts for coach Hollingsworth. The Beavers' first two games are against Aberdeen and West Jefferson, two schools he previously coached at. In a strange twist, both of American Falls' district games will be on the road; at Snake River on October 15th and at Marsh Valley in the regular season finale on October 22nd. The Beavers' playoff hopes likely rest in those final two games.