Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Carey
2. Castleford
3. Dietrich
T-4. Camas County
T-4. Hansen
Written by: Will Hoenike
The summer has likely been a game of point/counterpoint for head coach Rick Astle and the defending 1A Division 2 state champion Dietrich Blue Devils.
For example, for everyone who tells the team it is hard to repeat as a state champion in football, the Blue Devils can point out, in the 1A Division 2 classification alone, since 2012, Salmon River (twice) and Carey have repeated as state champs on the gridiron.
Or, when told the team can’t possibly sustain the loss of 1A Division 2 Player of the year Brody Power, the response can be, okay, but what about the two All-State playmakers who are back for the 2021 season?
True, it will be hard to replace Power and his 50 rushing and passing touchdowns. But bringing back Jett Shaw and Cody Power certainly makes the transition easier.
“I’m excited to see a new group of players develop and reach their potential as a team and as a player,” Astle said.
The task of replacing Power at quarterback on offense will fall to junior Payton Sneddon. While new to the quarterback spot (at least the starting role), Sneddon saw plenty of game action as a sophomore, including chipping in with two carries, a long reception and a tackle for the team in the championship win over rival Carey last November.
Dietrich does have to replace two All-State caliber linemen in Lester Nance and Manny Cabrera. That will likely be a big key in the Blue Devils’ success this fall because they have good skill players returning on offense in Sneddon, Shaw, and Cody Power, along with junior Hayden Astle at running back. Will the team score over 500 points again this fall?
The counterpoint to that question – will it need to? It seems likely the Blue Devils will be able to score points. But, if the team performs capably on defense, it won’t need to average nearly 50 points per game to win games. Sneddon, Shaw, Power, and Astle provide a solid foundation on defense as well as offense.
“We need to improve our defensive line output,” Astle observed. “We have to replace outstanding linebackers and linemen.”
The Blue Devils come out of the gates with two tough tests against teams from District 3. Dietrich opens at home against Division 1 Rimrock on August 27, a team that returns much of its roster from last season. Then, the following week, the Blue Devils hit the road to face a good Garden Valley team.
The conference, as usual, features teams who want to wrest the throne away from Carey and Dietrich, the two teams who are usually at or near the top of the standings when the regular season ends. Castleford? Camas County? Someone else?
Either way, don’t be surprised if the October 22 matchup in Carey when Dietrich comes to town has playoff ramifications. Dating back to 2012, the two teams have met nine times, with Carey winning five and Dietrich winning four. One of those four, of course, was the 2020 1A Division 2 state championship game, something neither side will forget any time soon.