Mtn. View football: 2011 season recap

A while back, Mountain View (Idaho) football coach Judd Benedick was interviewed and talked about the 2011 season. This is the article that will appear in the Mavericks' 2011 yearbook.

Mavs’ fine year ends too quickly

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

The most obvious thing that can be said about Mountain View’s 2011 football season is that it ended too early. With a few breaks, things might have been a lot different.

The Mavericks compiled a 7-3 record and were among the top teams in the 5A SIC. Coach Judd Benedick’s squad rebounded nicely from a disappointing 4-5 mark the previous year. Helped by a returning quarterback (sophomore Kai Turner) and a lot less injuries, Mountain View finished tied for second place in league and was the only team to defeat SIC champ Eagle.

“This was our favorite team in five years and, in large part, it had to do with this senior class,” said Benedick. “After last year, we challenged them. They were dedicated and worked hard, and it was not just the weightlifting, but the attitude and approach.”

The Mavericks did it primarily with defense. Led by guys like Austin Brown, Nate Moore, Anthony Lyngar, Lane Chadwick and Dominic Howard, Mountain View tied a school record by limiting opponents to just 16.7 points per game. That kept them in every contest and, in most cases, that was enough.

“We had a fantastic year with one hiccup,” said Benedick. “If we'd have beaten Rocky Mountain, we'd have been a No. 1 seed and it would have made a huge difference."

That 24-17 loss dropped Mountain View to the third spot, and the Mavericks had to bus 400 miles to open the 5A state playoffs at Coeur d’Alene. The Vikings were the defending champion and on their way to a second straight title. Their toughest postseason match, however, was a 27-14 decision over Mountain View.

The outcome didn’t sit well with the Mavericks, who rallied back from the Rocky loss to whip rival Centennial and then pound Eagle, 36-17. They thought that win was the precursor to what might have been the school’s first state title.

“(Against Eagle) our kids performed wonderfully,” said Benedick. “We felt ready to go and the kids executed … and then some. We were really physical and flew around out there.

“No disrespect to Eagle, they’re a fantastic team and could have won it all, but we might have peaked a week too early.”

Even after the long bus ride, the Mavs took a 7-0 lead and seemingly had a 14-0 advantage when Turner ran 81 yards for a touchdown. The play was negated by a questionable holding penalty. Coeur d’Alene took advantage of the momentum swing, and its home field, to eventually win.

“That trip left us with a bad taste,” said Benedick. “The people and the fans up there definitely let us know we were from the south and weren’t very classy. Still, we didn’t make enough plays.”

Overall, however, there were plenty of plays.

Turner, who moved into the starting role as a freshman, made remarkable improvement this year. He threw for almost 1,300 yards. Even more impressive was his 11 touchdown passes and just one interception.

Daniel Lau rushed for 857 yards and Turner added 649.

The offense was able to control the line of scrimmage in most games, and hold on to possession. Going into the Rocky game, Mountain View had won five of six games and most were in convincing fashion.

When it ended so quickly in the playoff’s first round, it felt frustrating. After he had time to reflect, Benedick had this answer:

“What it comes down to in the end is: Do you make them couple of big plays? Do you do the little, tiny things that separate you from being an exceptionally good or great team?

“The team that wins or almost wins the conference, there are really small differences. The kids understand you're not going to dominate every game or run away from people every game. But you have to make some breaks ... that's the difference."

Opponents clearly recognized Mountain View had the league’s best defense. The Mavs put four players on the all-SIC team and Lyngar was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year.

In addition, Mountain View had fewer injury problems, no turnover issues and its special teams fared well. Few people questioned Coeur d’Alene’s status as the state’s top team. After that, it was too close to call.