Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. North Gem
2. Watersprings
3. Rockland
4. Mackay
Written by: Will Hoenike
Earlier this summer, Rockland head coach Gerry Hunter was still sorting out who would replace veteran starter Braden Permann at quarterback. He didn’t know who was going to win the job, but he knew who he almost hoped would not.
“We have a three-horse race with (junior) Gavin Permann, (sophomore) Teague Matthews, and (freshman) Troy Parish,” Hunter said in early August. “We would like to keep Teague at receiver because he is a dominant force.”
Indeed. As a freshman, the 6-foot-4 Matthews was named to the All-Area and All-Conference teams as a receiver. That height and athleticism is a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches, especially at the 8-man level. The Bulldogs would like to keep Matthews on the outside with his brother, Wes, a senior who Hunter says has the best hands on the team. The team also returns an experienced offensive front with Wyatt and Eli Hendrickson (another set of brothers) and Easton Hall.
All that’s really missing for a team that likes to sling the ball around is the trigger man.
“Gavin has been our backup the last two years and has stepped up in times of need and played great,” Hunter said of his competitors. “Troy has great experience at the middle-school level and just needs to get some experience at the high-school level.”
The key for Rockland may be on the other side of the ball. The team lost six games in 2020, four of which were by 12 points or less which, in 8-man football, is not very much. If just a handful of plays turned out differently, Rockland’s season would have looked much, much different.
“We have to stop the run,” Hunter said. “We have more size this year along our defensive front that should really help.”
That front is led by Wyatt Hendrickson, who earned all-conference honors on the defensive line as a junior. He’ll be joined up front by Hall, fellow senior Eric Parish, and sophomore Cody Woodworth in front of Teague Matthews at linebacker alongside junior Brigham Permann. Wes Matthews will lead the secondary.
Since Idaho split the 1A (previously known as A-4) back into two separate classifications for the 2004-05 season, Division 2 has been dominated by Districts 3 and 4. Only one football state champion – Mackay in 2005 – has come from outside Districts 3 or 4. There appear to be candidates to challenge that dominance in 2021: Mullan/St. Regis from District 1 and Kendrick from District 2 have eyes on a deep run in the postseason. Could a team like Rockland or North Gem from the Rocky Mountain Conference make a run?
The Bulldogs will get a good, 3-week test during the non-conference portion of their schedule when they face Butte County, Challis, and Grace in successive contests before entering conference play. Rockland plays in a four-team conference so the margin for error is small. One rough week could derail postseason dreams. The Bulldogs host Watersprings on October 15 before traveling to Bancroft to take on North Gem on October 22.