1/15/2010
From the Lewiston Tribune
Lewiston, Idaho
Friday, January 15, 2010
Plummer, McDonald Lead Mythical All-Idaho Team
By Matt Baney
The wellspring of football talent in Idaho won't ever be confused with California or Texas or Florida. But over the years, the Gem State has produced at least a trickle of gridiron standouts.
That fact is illustrated by the All-Time All-Idaho Football All-Stars. The rundown of the state's greatest players - all of whom were born in Idaho or at least played high school ball here - made its debut this week on
http://bishopkellyfootball.com.
This theoretical team could win some games. There's Jake Plummer at quarterback, Ray McDonald at running back and Jerry Kramer at guard. The defense is led by safety Larry Wilson - the only Idaho native in the Pro Football Hall of Fame - and Mike Hollis is kicking field goals. The coaching staff includes Mike Riley and John L. Smith.
Also on the sidelines is Bill Fagerbakke - better known as "Dauber" from the 1990s TV series "Coach." So the committee was clearly having fun with the process.
Actually, "the committee" consisted almost exclusively of the Brunelle family of Boise. Brothers Andy and John Brunelle maintain the Web site, which is devoted to the lore of Bishop Kelly High football. They were joined by their older brother, Nick, and their father, Barney - as well as George Katsilometes, the former sports editor of Pocatello's Idaho State Journal.
"My brother and I were talking about the best high school running backs we had seen in Idaho," Nick Brunelle said, "and it just kind of snowballed from there."
Some of the players on the list spent little time in Idaho, although the majority of them are firmly tied to the state.
Lewiston native Jimmy Farris, who hung around the NFL for parts of seven seasons, made the cut, as did Moscow High graduate Doug Riesenberg.
When the list was first unveiled, there was no mention of another Lewiston native, Jake Scott of the Tennessee Titans. But when Scott's NFL accomplishments - a Super Bowl victory with Indianapolis and a string of consecutive starts that dates back to his rookie season in 2004 - were pointed out to the committee, the 295-pound right guard was added to the "special recognition" list.
Most in Lewiston would probably argue that Scott deserves a starting spot ahead of Ernie Hughes, a Boise native who played at Notre Dame and in the NFL. And that's part of the fun, Nick Brunelle said.
"We were just hoping it would spark some debate. There's probably some other names out there that people would come up with, too. But we hope we did a pretty thorough job."