One nice thing about being a state champion is that you start your next athletic season on a winning streak.
So the 2006 State 1A Division 2 champion Carey School Panthers will carry a 10-game winning streak into Friday's season-opening 7 p.m. home eight-man football game against the Shoshone Indians, at Derrick Parke Memorial Field in Carey.
The winning streak won't last forever. Carey followers, coaches and players are enjoying it to the hilt while they can.
Thing is, Carey has no sense of entitlement about getting to the playoffs. Last year's title was only the third state football crown in school history. You have to earn what you get each time you run out on the field.
Hard work and effort are the only constants in Carey's football tradition that includes six championship game appearances since 1992.
Seventh-year Carey head coach Lane Kirkland (43-14) doesn't sense any complacency among the 30 Panther players who have tried out for the varsity squad. That turnout is an increase of two from last year's pre-season Carey grid camp.
Being state champions "has provided a lot of motivation for our kids and has driven them to work harder this year," said offensive coordinator Kirkland, assisted again by longtime defensive coordinator Lee Cook.
Kirkland added about his squad, "They're very focused. They know people will be after them this year, but they want to get back to the same awesome experience they had last year. I've never seen as many gang tackles in our practices."
Carey, with four home games on its nine-game schedule, can draw on an awesome legacy this fall. The Panthers (11-1) outscored opponents 555-186 including their 50-20 triumph over the outmatched Salmon River Savages (8-4) in the 2006 State 1A Division 2 championship game at Holt Arena in Pocatello Nov. 17.
The Panthers (573 yards total offense) wore down Salmon River with a balanced attack featuring 277 rushing and 153 passing yards. Balance extended to scoring. Six players scored 60 or more points. And three are returning this fall.
Kirkland likes Carey's speed and experience in the backfield. He said, "Speed is going to help us and hopefully get us back to the title game. We have a lot of good, smart, quick kids and depth. I think our offense is ready for the challenge."
Senior quarterback D.J. Simpson will lead the offense. He riddled Salmon River for 150 yards and a touchdown and scored three running touchdowns in the title game. Over the 12-game season Simpson (31 TD passes, 19 conversion passes) scored 60 points including nine touchdowns.
Kirkland said, "D.J. is as slick and as crafty a quarterback as you'd want. His arm is more accurate this year and he's looking real good."
Simpson will guide a multi-faceted, potent attack. Kirkland said, "On offense we've got some regular T-formation stuff and some split and slot guys we call the Wyoming sets, and some spread stuff as well."
His running backs, both seniors, are Connor Rivera (a team-high 15 TDs, 102 points) and Blake Whitby (11 TDs, 70 points). Taken together, dripping wet, they might come close to 300 pounds. Kirkland shies away from calling 5-4, 130-pound Whitby a fullback because he's so dang small.
Kirkland is more comfortable calling tailback Rivera the "3 back" and fullback Whitby the "2 back." Whatever you call them, both are tough to bring down. Rivera (156 yards, 18 carries) and Whitby (63 yards, 8 carries) were Carey's top rushers in the championship game.
Here's a scary thing for Carey's opponents. Junior Heith Adamson and sophomore Gonzalo Zarate supply more speed coming off the bench. They can be substituted as running backs or ends.
Kirkland said about the Adamson and Zarate, "They are just as fast and powerful as Connor and Blake and maybe better blockers. They give us outstanding speed and depth."
The six seniors on offense also feature Kade Peterson and Scott Ellsworth on ends, and steady Tyler Parke at center. Along with All-State guard Jesus Ocampo and Wulf Lebrecht, who has moved, Parke was the snapper on the Carey offensive line that piled up 3,000 rushing and 1,750 passing yards.
Coach Kirkland will be breaking in new varsity offensive guards to flank rangy 6-0 center Parke including sophomores Brad Peck, Todd Peck and Tyler Chavez. Brad Peck, about 177 pounds, has been particularly impressive. Kirkland said, "Brad has really worked hard and has his heart into it."
Also expected to play on offense are junior center Andrew Carlson and 5-11, 180-pound sophomore guard Jeff Ellingson. The punter is D.J. Simpson. Back-up quarterback is sophomore Dillon Simpson.
Carey's defensive philosophy is uncomplicated. Asked to define it, Kirkland said, "It's go get 'em. It's what we call the Blue Wrecking Crew. So far we've shown good tackling ability. If the guys up front do their job, other teams won't have much time to throw."
Adamson, Todd Peck, Brad Peck, Zarate, Chavez, Ellingson and Carlson provide speed and strength on the defensive line.
Firing up the Panther linebacker corps will be Whitby, who had 14 tackles in the championship game. Ellsworth, Dillon Simpson and Rivera are other linebacker candidates. In the secondary are D.J. Simpson and Peterson, and possibly Ellsworth and Trevor Peck.
As far as the schedule is concerned, Carey makes long trips for games against Rockland (2-7 last fall) and North Gem (5-4). The Panthers travel to Mackay, which will be missing All-State Kelvin Krosch. "I'm not sure the last time Mackay has been beaten on its home field," Kirkland said.
That would be Oct. 26, 2003 by a 42-28 score to Raft River. Since, Mackay has won 20 consecutive home games and has made the state championship game on two occasions.
Fairfield is also a destination for the annual Carey-Camas County grudge match Friday, Sept. 14. "Camas is always tough at home," said Kirkland. Host Carey beat Camas 58-14 last fall and Carey won 60-32 in Fairfield two years ago, but the Mushers are 20-11 since 2004 and have made the playoffs for those three years.
Certainly Carey will miss the leadership of All-State Cody Baird, Ocampo and Brad Hunt. But Kirkland thinks the new Panthers are up to the task. He said, "We're looking for a good season and can't wait to get it started Friday night."
The Panthers last played Shoshone (4-5 last fall, 2-7 two years ago) in 2005, in Carey, winning by a 54-6 count. Indeed, Carey grid teams have won 12 of the last 13 meetings with Shoshone by a combined 504-114 score interrupted only by Shoshone's 50-28 victory at Carey back in 1999.
GRID NOTES—The Idaho Falls Post Register reported that the tiny southeastern Idaho town of Leadore has resurrected its high school football program for the first time since the mid-1980s. Leadore (36 students) will play in the Montana six-man football league. The Mustangs open against Clark County of Dubois Sept. 8.
Also, Mackay's highly successful football coach Jack McKelvey, 46, has stepped aside after 22 seasons and eight state championships with the Miners, the Post Register reported. McKelvey (165-48) won six straight Idaho 1A 11-man championships from 1996-2001. Replacing McKelvey is 10-year Miner defensive coordinator Lance Rosenkrance, 37, a rancher in the Mackay area.
Leading Carey this fall will be senior Blake Whitby, who had his breakout game last September with a 195-yard, 3 TD rushing effort in Carey?s come-from-behind 34-28 home win over the Mackay Miners. Photo by David N. Seelig
