Sports Line High School Football Preview Series: Bear Lake Bears

MONTPELIER, Idaho (KIFI) - For the first time in school history, Bear Lake football will try to defend a state championship this season after the Bears won their first title last year.

Bear Lake will try to run it back in a stacked 2A classification of teams in East Idaho, including arch rival West Side, state runner-up Firth, and North Fremont, the only team to hand Bear Lake a loss last season.

The Bears lose a large senior class, including 2A player of the year Tayson Neal, Tyler Beresford, and Jordan Garbett. However, Bear Lake does return some key players from last year's team, such as Bryson Crane, Rhett Lloyd, and Toby Flake.

Bear Lake opens its 2023 schedule Aug. 25 at home against North Fremont as the Bears seek revenge for their lone defeat in 2022.