Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Firth
2. North Fremont
3. West Jefferson
4. Ririe
5. Salmon
Written by: Brandon Baney
West Jefferson endured an uneven season in 2020, finishing third in the Nuclear Conference and grabbing one of the final at-large bids into the Class 2A postseason. But that's where their journey ended, as Bear Lake defeated the Panthers in the playoff opener 36-22.
Now head coach Ty Minto must figure out how to reload in what should be an extremely competitive league again in 2021. The Panthers lost six players who earned All-Conference honors a year ago, many of them on both sides of the ball: Breven Newman, Jaden Burtenshaw, Kyson Gabrish, Bridger Poulson, Zyeon Kimbro and Kaleb Hall.
A trio of seniors who earned All-Nuclear honors figure to be back to lead West Jefferson in 2021: running back/defensive backs Kazden Rogers and Dylan Burtenshaw, and offensive and defensive lineman Kurt Wright.
The Panthers kick off their season with 2A semifinalist Declo at home on August 27th. That's followed by consecutive games against Class 3A American Falls and Teton. West Jefferson finishes non-league play against Malad on September 17th.
Once Nuclear Conference play begins, West Jefferson will have to play defending league champ North Fremont at home on September 24th. They will have to travel to Class 2A runner-up Firth on October 15th. Those two contests will likely decide the Panthers' playoff fate in 2021.