'I think we have the arsenal for it': SHS boys soccer seeks ninth state title

IDAHO FALLS — It’s only been three years since the Sandpoint boys soccer team made an appearance at the state tournament, but for a program with eight 4A state titles under its belt — three years feels like a lifetime.

Head coach Tanner French took over the team in 2019 looking to revive the program and reinstall the state championship mindset that comes with being a Bulldog.

In his second year, French believes he’s done that and he’s ready to see all the time and dedication his players have put in come to fruition this week in Idaho Falls.

“They are the first batch that people are looking at,” he said. “Whether the boys know that or not, it’s a big deal. There’s a lot of community members wondering, ‘Hey, are they going to do it in their first year back down there?’ And obviously I’m pondering the question as well, but I think we have the arsenal for it.”

Sandpoint’s last state title came in 2012 and the Bulldogs (5-4-3) will begin their journey back to glory at 10 a.m. PST Thursday against Vallivue in the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament at Bonneville High School.

Sandpoint reached state by overcoming Moscow — a team that delivered a pair of crushing defeats to the Bulldogs in the previous two years to keep them out of the state tournament. Sandpoint got its revenge and did so in dominant fashion, topping the Bears 3-0.

Beating the Bears was a mental hurdle every player on the boys team enjoyed jumping over.

“It felt really good,” senior captain Chris Koch said. “I knew we could do it. It wasn’t even better to see our team come together like I know we can and get that done.”

It was clear to French, his coaching staff and the entire team that the victory over Moscow last Thursday was the best game the Bulldogs have played all season.

“I think that’s the best I’ve ever played with any team,” Koch said, “and I hope that we can outdo that at state.”

That’s the question: How do the Bulldogs build off that performance and carry that momentum into the state tournament?

For senior forward Zander Moore, the answer to that question is simple. The Bulldogs need to stick to their identity, avoid overthinking things and stay mentally checked in throughout their stay in Idaho Falls.

“We’re just there to play,” he said.

The last time Sandpoint made it to state, the Bulldogs won their opening match and lost the next two. Moore was a freshman on that squad and he’s excited he gets another opportunity to compete at state.

“I of course remember it as a pretty big experience,” he said, “but the past couple of years, I’ve kind of lost what it’s like to actually go down on the bus and compete at state, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Moore said he remembers the level of play at state and the pressure that comes with it, and he knows the Bulldogs will need to shake off the nerves to be successful.

“I’m hoping that we can kind of cool down and keep our chill during the game,” he said.

Moore has been a threat on attack all season for the Bulldogs. He has 10 goals thus far and whenever the team has needed someone to make a game changing play, he has answered the call.

Sandpoint will need Moore to be at his best to compete for a state title and French believes the captain has put in the preparation to make that a reality.

“I think for him to kind of complete his career is to just play like Zander does,” French said, “and that is just in your face, extremely hard and gritty. The Sandpoint bite, Zander has.”

In the district title match against Moscow, Sandpoint saw defender Parker Prior return to the pitch. A handful of weeks ago, the senior thought his season had come to an abrupt end when he was told he had a partially torn meniscus. But he got a second opinion and was informed he just had a strained calf. This allowed Prior to step back into his role on the Sandpoint back line.

“It was super nice being back,” he said. “The day before [the district final] when we practiced it was doing good and I was just kind of worried about getting back to playing a game and getting on it some more, so I was glad to see that it felt good and it was all healed up right in time for state and districts.”

After last Thursday’s thrilling victory, French gave his team Friday and the weekend off to refocus.

“I wanted the boys to relish in that moment,” he said, “and I think that decision was a good one because they came in this week with fresh legs and a fresh mind.”

On Saturday, French and his assistant coach Daniel Anderson watched the 4A state play-in game between Vallivue and Skyline to get a feel for their first opponent at state.

French said Vallivue (9-3-0) is an attacking minded-team with a trio of skilled players upfront, but he wasn’t impressed with their backline and he believes the Bulldogs can take advantage of that weakness in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

“They’re nothing that we haven’t seen from Lake City or Coeur d’Alene or Post Falls and that’s usually the case,” he said. “There’s a reason I love playing 5A schools because you gain that experience.”

Sandpoint doesn’t know much about the rest of the teams at state, but the southern and eastern Idaho schools don't know much about the Bulldogs either — that’s the beauty of the state of Idaho.

French isn’t worried about inexperience at the state level impacting his team and he said the other schools better not underestimate the Bulldogs.

“I think it benefits our team coming in as an underdog. Everyone knows who Sandpoint is, but I think they are thinking what we were, rather than what we are now, and that’s a great feeling because if they don’t believe Sandpoint is back, then they’ve got another thing coming.”

The Bulldogs have plenty of talented underclassmen on this year’s squad. Sophomores Roman Jiles, Evan Dickinson, Stirling Roget and Randy Lane, and freshman Jett Longanecker have all been key pieces in getting Sandpoint back to state.

“It’s cool to see there’s a bunch of young guys getting the opportunity to play,” Prior said. “It’s a young team, so they’ll be really good in the future.”

Prior expects to be a bit anxious during his first few moments, but he believes all those nerves will go away when the whistle blows for their opening match.

For Prior and the rest of the seniors, this is their last chance to create a few more memories before it all comes to end and Prior plans on taking advantage of it.

“It’s our last few games together us seniors,” he said, “and that’s kind of crazy to think about, but I think it will be a really good opportunity to get closer with everyone and have a good time down there.”

Koch said he doesn’t plan on wrapping up his career quietly.

“I know we have big shoes to fill down there,” he said, “but I know we can do it and I’m confident we can fill those shoes and leave our legacy.”

Prior, Moore and Koch want to claim the biggest piece of hardware at state, but at the end of the day they’ll be satisfied if they leave everything they have out on the pitch.

French said this is the first time this season all 20 varsity are fully healthy and he’s confident his team has peaked at the right time.

“I’m looking forward to getting down there and making a statement,” he said.

French, a two-time state champ as a player at SHS, has high expectations for this group and those expectations have been made clear to the players and their parents from the start.

French coached a lot of the Bulldogs when they were younger and he’s watched them all evolve and grow over the course of this fall and their careers.

He said this team is built to thrive and they’ve learned what it takes to compete at the highest level.

“I think over the last few weeks they’ve started to develop that mindset that we can actually go and win a state title,” he said.

First kick for the quarterfinal match against Vallivue is set for 10 a.m. PST. You can watch the match live on the NFHS Network. A subscription to the website costs $10.99 per month.

“I guarantee it will not be a surprise if we win [state],” French said.