Sermon Service and Electric Student Athlete of the Week: Jensen Horlacher

This week's Sermon Service and Electric Student Athlete of the Week is Shelley High School running back Jensen Horlacher. After a challenging start to the season, Jensen and the Shelley Russets celebrated a breakthrough with their first win, showcasing their resilience and team chemistry.

"We just played to the best of our abilities," Jensen said. "We clicked as a team and had a lot of energy. It's so important as we need these wins to go to the playoffs. We're getting hot at the right time, and so it's super important."

Jensen led the charge with an impressive performance, carrying the ball 19 times for 133 yards and a touchdown, contributing to a run game that amassed over 300 yards. He thrives on the team's ground-and-pound approach. "It's so motivating. It's pretty nerve-racking, but that's a good drive for me," he said. "It's a team game, so I rely on my teammates as well. The O-line helps me get there."

The offensive line's chemistry has been a cornerstone of Shelley's success, with Jensen giving a shout-out to his blockers, including his left guard, nicknamed "Pancakes." "I've become best friends with all of my O-linemen. Without them, we wouldn't be as strong as we are," Jensen said. "Payton Olsen, he's one of my good buddies. He's our left guard. He pulls almost every play, and he pancakes people. His nickname's Pancakes. Without them, we wouldn't be able to run the ball. So we love our O-line."

First-year head coach Clayton Hall, who brought a run-heavy system from his time at Sisters High School in Oregon, has seen steady progress. "We're progressing, just getting better each week," Hall said. "This is a system that I kind of developed when I was at Sisters High School in Oregon. It's a really good package. If we can stay in that and just pound the rock, it's a lot of fun for the boys."

Jensen has also emerged as a leader, embracing the team's "Band of Brothers" mantra to foster unity after early losses. "We started off the year with a new motto for our team, put on our shirts from camp: Band of Brothers," he said. "It draws us close together. One of our cheers in practice, someone breaks us out, and it's '1, 2, 3, family.' As we've drawn closer together, the chemistry is better, and we play better in games. At the beginning of the year, it was rough. We've learned through the mantra Band of Brothers that we gotta pick each other up, and that's helped us get this win."

The locker room after that first victory was electric, a testament to the team's growing bond. Jensen credits his dad for instilling a "better today than yesterday" mindset. "Just focus on today. Get better today," he said. "He's coached me since I was a starter-grade kid in fourth grade, and he's just kept me going throughout all these years."

Jensen Horlacher, our Sermon Service and Electric Student Athlete of the Week, is leading the Shelley Russets' charge through the fog, ready to carry his team toward the playoffs with grit and determination.