Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Oakley
2. Raft River
3. Lighthouse Christian
4. Glenns Ferry
5. Murtaugh
Written by: Will Hoenike
When the Murtaugh Red Devils open the season in the annual Wagon Wheel game against rival Hansen, they’ll be showcasing some new faces.
Gone is two-way All-Conference standout Zac Gunnell. Gone are both Ty and Wes Stanger. Tegan Dimond also graduated.
Seven seniors from last season’s squad which qualified for the 1A Division 1 state playoffs are no longer with the program. So who steps forward in 2021 to take on a starring role for the Red Devils?
Seniors Cesar Aburto (RB/LB) and Freddy Martinez (OL/DL) figure to be key pieces of the team’s puzzle, along with juniors Chandler Jones (WR/DB) and Raegan Fitzpatrick (TE/DE). Sophomore Junior Benties (RB/DB) will also have an opportunity to earn a bigger role this fall.
After winning its first two teams last fall, the team lost its next five games before a big win over Glenns Ferry pushed the Red Devils into the playoffs. In four of those five losses, Murtaugh surrendered at least fifty points so a key area for continued improvement for Todd Jensen’s team this fall will be tackling and limiting big plays on defense. If Murtaugh is able to continue to get stronger in those areas, the team will have a chance to compete in the difficult Snake River Conference and earn another trip to the postseason.
But it starts with the Wagon Wheel. Murtaugh and Hansen are located just ten miles apart in District 4 so bragging rights will be on the line. The two rivals formed a co-operative team for a few years recently but re-emerged as stand-alone teams for the 2017 season. Since then, Murtaugh is 4-0 in Wagon Wheel contests – Hansen’s last win in this rivalry contest came in 2012.