High School Football Preview: Skyline Grizzlies

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - It’s not often that a team is let down by a trip to the state semifinals.

“Last year was disappointing,” said Skyline quarterback Carmyne Garcia.

The Grizz fell to Hillcrest 35-31 on a game-ending Hail Mary in 2023, ending their championship pursuit. They finished with an 8-4 record.

Local News 8 asked head coach Scott Berger if he views that third-place finish as a disappointment.

“Well,” he said, “after winning three straight state championships, it was a little different!”

Berger wants his team to return with a vengeance this season. Fortunately for him, much of his team is returning.

“It always helps to have a lot of seniors,” he said. “Last year, we only had, like, 12 seniors. This year we have around 20.”

“It always helps to have a returning quarterback, which we do in Carmyne Garcia,” he continued. “He’s a very good player.”

“Everybody has experience from last year going into this year,” Garcia said, “so I think it just comes down to experience.”

Garcia’s arm has gotten more powerful and more precise. In practice, he’s found himself hitting the big throws with consistency.

“I think it’s just the experience,” he explained. "Everything moves a lot slower. Everything’s a lot easier.”

But that doesn’t mean this season will be easy for the Grizz.

“We have our work cut out for us,” Berger asserted.

Five of their nine games feature new teams and new coaches, making it hard to prepare. And Berger admits the game is changing.

"A lot of teams around here have excellent passing games,” he said. “The days of holding people to seven points - that’s really difficult nowadays.”

The Grizz are hoping to fight fire with fire - offense with offense.

“We joke with each other,” Berger said. “We say, ‘Hey, let’s score half a hundred and get the heck out of here!’”

Garcia said the team is once again aiming to capture a state championship. He, and the rest of the team, believe it’s achievable.

“That’s Skyline football,” Berger said.