MERIDIAN, Idaho — Ahead of this week's limited schedule of 'Week 0' high school football contests, KTVB continues its prep previews with a look at the Mountain View Mavericks, who might have the most challenging schedule this season.
After starting an unexpected 4-3 last fall, the Mavericks compiled three-straight wins and reached the state quarterfinals. The comeback effort sparked excitement for 2024. Mountain View's first opportunity to rise arrives next week with the Rocky Mountain Rumble at Holt Arena.
"We're excited about these guys," head coach Brian Compton said. "They had a great offseason, they crushed it in the weight room."
In the annual cycle of graduating seniors, this year's Mavs are young, but certainly not inexperienced.
"We're young, but we're excited about the group that we have," Compton said. "As far as experience goes, we have guys that have played a little bit even though they're young. We just gotta be ready to step up and play in those big games. It's always next man up."
"I think we have a bunch of young talent," junior free safety Grady Connors said. "We're just working on getting our chemistry right and showing people what we're about on Friday nights."
Among the big roster moves is a new man under center – sort of. Henry Nelson will start at quarterback after finishing out last season following an injury to Mountain View's starting signal caller.
"Hank came in and did a great job as a sophomore, really had a lot of improvement," Compton said. "Now we consider him a veteran coming into his junior campaign."
That experience goes a long way.
"Just carrying it into this year and hoping to build on what I did last year," Nelson said.
A great offensive line and solid skill players around Nelson will also help him thrive this fall.
"We like to play nasty, very nasty football. That's what we like to live by," senior left tackle Aiden VandeWater said.
Working through all the little details this summer, the Mavericks need to be on point immediately out of the gate.
"Everybody's gotta be ready to go," Compton said. "Every coach has to be ready to go, every player has to be ready to go."
Mountain View faces one of the toughest schedules in the state's toughest league in the 6A Southern Idaho Conference.
"We just pride ourselves in hard work and toughness," Compton said.
All but one of the Mavericks' opponents made the playoffs in 2023.
"I love the competition, I love grinding every day," Connors said. "Our preparation and getting 1% better every day is gonna really make the difference."
"I think we're gonna rise to it," VandeWater said. "I think it's a great opportunity. One of our hardest schedules in team history, but I think that's just gonna drive us and make us play better and we're gonna work hard for it."
In addition to a rigorous league schedule, the Mavericks also have a unique season opener. Mountain View will battle Woods Cross, a playoff power from Utah, as part of the annual Rocky Mountain Rumble at Holt Arena.
The Mavericks then visit Meridian in a rematch of last year's playoff bout, before hosting rival Rocky Mountain in the highly-anticipated Battle of the Mountains. The Grizzlies landed at No. 2 in the 6A rankings in the first Idaho high school football state media poll.
2024 PREP PREVIEWS:
