Capital (ID) football season recap

I'm now working on the Capital Eagles (Idaho) 2011 football yearbook. Here's the story I wrote commemorating the team's season.


Eagles rise up once again

Talented line and newcomers team up
to lead Capital to 5A semifinals

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

The deck was stacked against the Capital Eagles for the 2011 season.

Sure, the Eagles lost a lot of good players to graduation, but it was much more than that. Capital also had a new quarterback and its schedule started with perennial powers Centennial and Eagle.

“If you would have told me at the start of the season that we would have been 48 minutes from the championship game, I would have taken it,” said coach Todd Simis. “We were real concerned about replacing a lot of key guys, but it was enjoyable.

“(After) the first two weeks, we were 0-2 and we hadn’t done that in many, many years. But I was proud of the way the kids hung together.”

Capital rebounded in a big way. The Eagles won eight straight games and advanced to the 5A state semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Coeur d’Alene. Capital finished 8-3. That may not rank was one of the finest in school history, but the whole team should feel proud.

“It was a real positive season,” Simis said. “We knew we would be good up front (on the line), but everything else was a question mark. That adversity was good. We beat a good Mountain View team and I look back upon it fondly.”

Mountain View was Capital’s third game, and the Mavericks had a fine season. But to the surprise of most people not associated with Capital football, the Eagles dominated. That 19-7 win Sept. 16 changed everything.

“That week (before the game) was pretty stressful,” Simis recalled. “I told them (the team) that the season starts today and the kids bought into that. We ended up finding ways to win close games. We kept getting better. It was a testament to the team.

“In that game, we got the ball first. On that first drive, we hit an 80-yard pass to (freshman) Tariq Littlejohn. That gave us confidence. Once we got that win, the kids started to believe it.”

Junior Makena Simis spent the entire season at quarterback. He threw the pass to Littlejohn and several more good ones as the season progressed. Makena faced all kinds of pressure being the coach’s son, but handled it well.

Simis was helped by one of the best offensive lines in Capital history – led by Kellen Buhr, Steven Matlock, Paden Munson and Paul Blakely – and the Eagles also found talented running backs like T.J. Clarke and Denis Popudnik.

“We averaged (almost) six yards per carry,” Coach Simis said. “We made too many mistakes against Centennial, but we felt we were going to be fine. From that point on, Makena was turnover-free and that helps you win football games. As we went through the year, he got better.”

The Eagles finished second in the Southern Idaho Conference and whipped Skyline in the first round of the playoffs.

The second round was a different story. The Eagles endured a 400-mile bus ride to Coeur d’Alene, but then one of the team buses broke down en route to the stadium. Even worse was the cold, rainy, windy weather that made life miserable for everybody.

Years from now, the team will remember the horrible conditions far more than the final score.

“Coeur d’Alene was awesome, but that was the worst weather conditions I’ve seen my 30 years being involved in football,” Coach Simis said. “They were better equipped to handle it than we were. They had hand-warmers and parkas. Their quarterback (5A MVP Chad Chalich) was a great player and they knew how to win.”

Despite the loss, Capital’s season-long effort was noticed.

Six Eagle players made first-team All-SIC and five were selected to the all-state team. Denis Popudnik, who was known primarily for his defense coming into the season, became a huge offensive threat. He ran for almost 600 yards, but scored an amazing 17 touchdowns and Simis tabbed him Capital’s Most Valuable Player.

T.J. Clarke ran for 300 yards against rival Borah was the Offensive MVP. Jake Walters was the Defensive MVP and Buhr was awarded the “Eagle Pride” award, which Simis said most embodies Capital football.

Marcus Tovar didn’t win any team awards, but his play he was in the opponent’s backfield all year. That made him an all-state pick and he attracted attention from Division I colleges.

“We felt he was the best defensive lineman in Idaho,” Coach Simis said.
Next year, Capital expects to be among the state’s best once again, led by Makena Simis, who will likely set records at quarterback.

“We’ll be as good as we’ve ever been on offense and in the skill positions,” coach Simis said. “We’re deep and talented … we just have to replace 4-5 offensive lineman and our front seven on defense. But, on offense, we’ll be just fine.”