With eight All-Conference selections and another eight named Honorable Mention, the 2018 All-Intermountain Football Team by any other name could have been called "Bayfield."
Having conquered the circuit for a fourth year running, the State-qualifying Wolverines landed 11 seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and one freshman on the recognized roster following an 8-2 overall finish and loss at Arvada Faith Christian in the 2A State Playoffs' quarterfinals.
Leading BHS' All Conference honorees were senior linemen Daniel Westbrook, Isaac Lorenzen, Rhett Hoover and Spencer Funke - road-graders who helped clear lanes for senior ball-carriers David Hawkins (191-1,109 rushing, 9 TD) and Keyon Prior (91-533, 3 TD; 31-482 receiving, 4 TD) plus junior Dylan Hilliker (56-480, 6 TD). They also protected senior quarterback Hayden Farmer (77-of-186 passing, 1,141 yards, 9 TD, 10 INT).
Hawkins led the Wolverines defensively with 102 total tackles, according to reported statistics, with Westbrook and Lorenzen each totaling 68 (Lorenzen also recorded a team-high 13 sacks, with Westbrook and Hoover each credited with eight) and Funke 57. Hoover booked 56 stops and Prior was in on 50.
Sidelined by injury late in the season, senior receiver/defensive back/kicker Max McGhehey led Bayfield's Honorable Mention All Conference recipients after logging 40 total tackles and two interceptions, finishing 13-of-19 in point-after kicks and 3-of-5 in field goals.
Senior Alec Demko also earned Honorable Mention All-Intermountain after leading BHS with six interceptions (Prior followed with four and Hilliker three) and was in on 48 total tackles. Junior John Foutz emerged as both an offensive lineman and defensive linebacker and was an HM pick after equaling Funke's 57 total stops (including three sacks, which matched Hawkins), while senior Reed Merchant was credited with 31.
Sophomore receiver Crosby Edwards snagged 14 passes for 145 yards after working to see regular action, while senior Cameron Liddell, a special teams force, grabbed three for 72. Junior Ethan Morris centered the offense, while freshman receiver/defensive back Cael Schaefer emerged late in the season to make one interception, cause a fumble and also recover one.
In a coaches-only vote, Westbrook and Hoover - each an imposing 6'3" at least, with length and quickness to match at each end on the offense and defensive lines - represented BHS as Linemen-of-the-Year candidates. The league-wide distinction went to the 5'10" Lorenzen, a disruptive force from his nose guard position and capable of playing guard or tackle.
Also saluted were Pagosa Springs senior defensive end Ian Reinhardt and Salida senior C/DE Holt Brashears.
SHS senior Vince DeLeo was named Back-of-the-Year, beating out Hawkins, Prior and Alamosa junior Brendon Madril. Prior (who averaged a reported 44.4 yards per each of 19 punts, 16.6 on eight kickoff returns and 14.6 on 11 punt returns) earned the Intermountain's Specialist-of-the-Year Award over AHS senior Chad Jackson.
Finally, Coach-of-the-Year went to Bayfield's Gary Heide, now 63-15 overall in seven seasons leading the program. Heide's teams have posted a 33-5 mark in conference play and have qualified for the postseason six times, earning State Championships in 2015 and '17.
ADDITIONALL ALL-INTERMOUNTAIN: Salida-DeLeo, Brashears, Juan Doyle, Eli Smith, Chad Kroschel, Ludvig Myren; Montezuma-Cortez-Vincent Conklin, Matthew Broughton, Cordell Baer, Swayde Noyes; Alamosa-Davis Gonzales, Armando Martinez, Antonio Rivera, Alexander Stokes; Pagosa Springs-Reinhardt, Connor Aragon, Paden Bailey, Cade Cowan.
ADDITIONAL HONORABLE MENTION ALL-INTERMOUNTAIN: SHS-Hunter Clark, Jesse Camp, David Zwingers, Keanu Hill, Zayne Walker, Elijah Roberts; M-CHS-Ike Dennison, Kale Hall, Zeke Vargas, Kerwin Tom; AHS-Jackson, Kody Brubacher, Madril, Ian Jackson; PSHS-Javier Marinelarena, Mitch Lewis, Brayden Shulda, Grant Aucoin.
