Step-by-step breakdown of HS football in May

Click here for a photo gallery of the 2014 East Idaho All-Star Game.

And for the story recapping the game, click here.

I’ve watched it happen the past two years. It’s like a script with predetermined steps.

Step 1: A bunch of all stars get together to play in the aptly named East Idaho All-Star Game at Shelley High School. It’s District 5 versus District 6.

It all went down last Friday and the talent was abundant. A good chunk of the kids playing had gone through their high school graduations the week leading up to the game. If not, they will soon enough. For most, it was their last football game — ever. For everybody there that warm, breeze-free night, it was certainly their final football game in high school. It was a jovial atmosphere.

Then there’s step 2: The game starts.

A few quarterbacks tossed a few touchdowns and District 5 led the 6th District 14-7 after the first quarter. It looked like we were headed to a classic shootout. But the defenses found their groove, the offenses lost theirs and we had a back-and-forth, turnover-filled battle over the final three frames. Eventually District 6 won 27-21.

But step 2 isn’t about the final score. It’s about how the emotions kicked into gear as the night wore on. Quarterbacks stopped throwing so many touchdowns and a few interceptions instead, linebackers delivered bone-crushing hits, linemen started to complain about defensive linemen’s techniques for rushing the passer and old rivalries flared up.

There’s plenty of hate between fellow District 5 teams — don’t get me wrong. No one in Malad likes West Side and on and on. But Highland and Pocatello, Marsh Valley and American Falls, they’re really not that far away from one another. Amongst Poky’s three city schools there is a familiarity born from growing up close to each other. The distance between District 5 and District 6 schools, though, that creates contempt. Century and Pocatello don’t like one another but they absolutely despise Bonneville and Blackfoot.

And believe me, as dominant as Highland is in the 5A 5-6 District, Madison, Hillcrest, Skyline and Idaho Falls wanted nothing more than to shove it down the Rams’ throat the last chance they could. Highland’s four district rivals had a combined 16 players in the all-star game for District 6, including 11 from Idaho Falls, who the Rams embarrassed in a 51-6 demolition last season.

“Everybody was getting a little more into it the later it got into the game, which is fun,” said Century head coach David Spillett, who was in charge of the 5th District.

So as the quarters passed, the chirping picked up, a couple personal foul flags flew into the air and coaches from both sides harped on their guys to stay calm.

Am I making this sound like a bad thing? Believe me, it’s not. In a contest that’s purely for fun, the rivalries helped the final score mean something. It meant that a dropped pass or a blown blocking assignment carried weight with the failure.

They were playing an all-star exhibition contest and suddenly a football game broke out. High school football ended last November, but there we were, in the middle of May and it felt like the opening weekend of the season.

Then the game stopped and reality set in. We have two months of summer before teams gather for practice in August.

“It felt real good,” said Shelley head coach Travis Hobson. “It jazzes you up for the summer. ... Now we’re ready to go. I’m in football mode.”

That leads us to step 3:  We wait. It’s the worst part.

East Idaho All-Star game at Shelley

Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal

Doug Lindley Idaho State Journal

The 5th and 6th Districts play Friday night, May 23, 2014, at Shelley High School.

Here are some links to stories the Journal has put together to preview the game.

— For the love of the game: Many of those playing in the 5-6 District All-Star game will throw on a jersey for the last time

— 5th District quarterbacks set to take the stage in Friday's 5-6 District All Star game

— The best have gathered: The top talent from the 5th District takes on the top talent from the 6th District

California high school seniors sign with ISU

Idaho State men’s basketball announced the signings of Ian Fox and Novak Topalovic Tuesday, May 20, 2014, to National Letters of Intent.

Topalovic is a 7-foot, 225-pound center from Santa Margarita High School in California, and Fox is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard from Redondo Union High School in Redondo, Calif. Both will be freshmen for the Bengals this upcoming season.

Fox is an all-league and all-state performer who led his team to the final four in the California state basketball tournament averaging 14.6 points per game in his two-year varsity career. Fox shot 46 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free-throw line. He was a 36 percent shooter from 3-point range. As a junior, Fox helped lead his team to a state championship.

“Ian is the consummate point guard,” said Idaho State head coach Bill Evans. “He has a really good feel for the game. He has a chip on his shoulder when he plays, which is really important. He is a good perimeter shooter and he is really quick with the basketball.”

Topalovic played on a high school team who had seven players sign to play college basketball in 2014. Santa Margarita High School lost in the semifinals of the California state playoffs on a 60-foot shot at the buzzer. Topalovic helped lead his team to a 26-9 record.

“Novak’s best days are ahead of him,” Evans said. “He is a young and talented kid who can really run the floor. He has really good feet. He played on one of the best high school teams in California this year. He is a great student with a great work ethic. We are really excited to have him.”

2014 southeast Idaho prep signings

Compiled by Chase Glorfield and Kyle Franko


ORGANIZED BY SCHOOL
Century (9):
Savannah Wells, softball — Williston State
Sami Parris, volleyball — Idaho
Micquel Blattner, volleyball — Westminster
Austin Ferguson, football — Idaho State
Kade Paulsen, football — College of Idaho
Scott Kuhn, football — Arizona Christian
Mauricio Huerta, soccer — Treasure Valley
Macy Goodwin, soccer — Idaho State
Anna Kaiser, swimming — Western State Colorado

Highland (11):
Ashlyn Van Every, volleyball — Idaho State
Angel Chavez, football — Montana Western
Aaron Pope, baseball — Dixie State
Bo Burrup, baseball — BYU
Kade Hall, baseball — Treasure Valley
Christian Atkinson, baseball — Treasure Valley
Greg Casper, baseball — Tacoma Community College
Nate Page, football — Idaho State
Presli Hutchison, track and field — Idaho State
Makenzie Van Sickle, basketball — College of Southern Idaho
Reece Bauer, basketball — Western Wyoming Community College

Pocatello (5):
Josh Holmes, baseball — Treasure Valley
Chase Teter, baseball — Treasure Valley
Andy Burtenshaw, football — Idaho State
Dallyce Wheatley, cross country — Arizona Christian
Dani Jorgensen, soccer — Treasure Valley

Bear Lake (3):
Olivia Harrison, softball — Big Bend Community College
Tahnee Saxton, softball —  Colby Community College in Colby, Kan.
Tristan Maughn, track and field — Louisiana Tech

American Falls (1):
Maria Sanchez, soccer — Idaho State

Blackfoot (1):
Cassandra Clarke, soccer — Treasure Valley

Rockland (1)
Savanah Farr, basketball — Treasure Valley

Marsh Valley (1)
Tasia Cook, swimming — Iowa Lakes Community College

Grace (1):
Mackenzie Windley, basketball — Big Bend Community College

ORGANIZED BY SPORT
Baseball (7):
Aaron Pope (Highland) — Dixie State
Bo Burrup (Highland) — BYU
Kade Hall (Highland) — Treasure Valley
Josh Holmes (Pocatello) — Treasure Valley
Chase Teter (Pocatello) — Treasure Valley
Christian Atkinson (Highland) — Treasure Valley
Greg Casper (Highland) — Tacoma Community College

Basketball (4):
Mackenzie Windley (Grace) — Big Bend Community College
Makenzie Van Sickle (Highland) — College of Southern Idaho
Savanah Farr (Rockand) — Treasure Valley
Reece Bauer (Highland) — Western Wyoming Community College

Softball (3):
Savannah Wells (Century) — Williston State
Olivia Harrison (Bear Lake) — Big Bend Community College
Tahnee Saxton (Bear Lake) —  Colby Community College in Colby, Kan.

Volleyball (3):
Sami Parris (Century) — Idaho
Ashlyn Van Every (Highland) — Idaho State
Micquel Blattner (Century) — Westminster

Football (6):
Andy Burtenshaw (Pocatello) — Idaho State
Nate Page (Highland) — Idaho State
Austin Ferguson (Century) — Idaho State
Kade Paulsen (Century) — College of Idaho
Angel Chavez (Highland) — Montana Western
Scott Kuhn (Century) — Arizona Christian

Track and field/cross country (3)
Presli Hutchison (Highland) — Idaho State
Dallyce Wheatley (Pocatello) — Arizona Christian
Tristan Maughn (Bear Lake) — Louisiana Tech

Soccer (4):
Mauricio Huerta (Century) — Treasure Valley
Maria Sanchez (American Falls) — Idaho State
Macy Goodwin (Century) — Idaho State
Cassandra Clarke (Blackfoot) — Treasure Valley

Swimming (2):
Anna Kaiser (Century) — Western State Colorado
Tasia Cook (Marsh Valley) — Iowa Lakes Community College