Sports
Fort Hall Warriors advance to SEIYFL Championships
Fort Hall Warriors football team for the 2025 season, with coaches Jeffrey Gallardo (left) and Vincent Sanchez at the Portneuf Wellness Complex on October 25.
By JEREMY SHAY
Sho-Ban News
POCATELLO — The Fort Hall Warriors defeated the SE Blackfoot Broncos in the Southeast Idaho Youth Football League 7th grade division playoffs at the Portneuf Wellness Complex on Saturday, October 25.
The Warriors narrowly beat the Broncos scoring the first touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, the final score was 7 to 0.
Head Coach Jeffrey Gallardo congratulated the players, acknowledging the milestone they just reached — this is the first year the Fort Hall team will be playing in the championships in over 20 years.
Gallardo talked about the challenges the Warriors faced in the playoff game. “We were really resilient today. A lot of things didn’t necessarily go our way, and we struggled. But with the kids being resilient, they overcame the adversity and were able to get the job done and move onto the next week,” he said. “So that I’m very proud of, cause when you get into the playoffs, the games don’t get easier, they get harder because you tend to see the best teams.”
Coach Gallardo said they are prepared to practice the entire week gearing up for the championship game against the West Highland Vikings, “I hope to see clean and efficient football, but that takes us preparing all week in practice to get to that moment. The team we’re going to play — the Vikings — we’ve played them once already, and they’re a good team and they’re tough, but they’re not unbeatable,” said Gallardo. “But again, it’s going to take us playing clean and efficient football to get that done.”
The Fort Hall Warriors will be playing in the SEIYFL 7th grade championship game on Saturday, November 1 at 2:30 p.m. at the ICCU Dome at Idaho State University.
Barlow & St. Clair honored at Highland Rams senior night
Highland Rams Varsity senior players honored before the Madison game at home on October 24; above is Grayson Barlow (#77) with family before the game.
By JEREMY SHAY
Sho-Ban News
POCATELLO — Two Native Highland High School 12th grade players, Grayson Barlow (#77) and Aiden St. Clair (#47), were honored at the Rams’ senior night home game against the Madison High Bobcats on Friday, October 24.
Aiden St. Clair (#47) with his grandfather Darrell Shay (left) and father Chet St. Clair.
Shoshone-Bannock tribal member Nick Sorrell is serving his fourth year as the Rams head coach.
Head Coach Nick Sorrell and Grayson Barlow lead the team onto the field
for the game.
Before the kickoff, Highland Rams senior players were escorted onto the field with family members, with their post-graduation plans announced to the crowd before the game.
Offensive tackle and guard Grayson Barlow was joined by his parents Dennis and Jenn Barlow; Barlow is the grandson of Andrea Davis Barlow (Shoshone-Bannock). Barlow’s plans after graduation is to serve on an LDS mission and have a successful career.
Sho-Ban tribal member and defensive tackle Aiden St. Clair is the son of Leslie and Chet St. Clair, he was joined on the field by his father Chet and his grandfather Darrell Shay, who played Highland Rams football in 1966 under the late Coach Jim Koetter. St. Clair plans on continuing his cultural practices and becoming a ranch hand in Wyoming following graduation.
Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel sponsored this year’s gift bags for the Highland senior players.
Barlow on the offensive line against Madison.
The Rams lost to Madison 17 to 28 — the team is 6-3 for the season heading into the Idaho High School Activities Association (IDHSAA) 6A State championship finals, where they face off against the Mountain View Mavericks in Meridian at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 31.
