1A HONORS: Pahranagat’s line leads the way in Southern League awards

They played in the trenches, where their names were rarely called by public address announcers or written in headlines.

But the offensive linemen for Pahranagat Valley’s football team just might have been the biggest reason the Panthers won a third consecutive Class 1A state title this season.

It’s not often a team’s entire offensive line takes first-team all-league honors, but that’s what happened for junior center Andy Linares, senior guard Jeremy Roemer and junior guard Derek Hansen when 1A Southern League coaches voted on postseason awards.

“I really believe that the key to our season was Andy Linares at the center spot,” Pahranagat Valley coach Ken Higbee said. “His ability to make our O-line calls and control nose guards was crucial.”

Higbee also praised the unselfishness of Hansen, who moved from tight end to guard before the season, and the veteran leadership of Roemer, one of the team’s three seniors.

Another of those seniors, quarterback and cornerback Cody Hosier, was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Hosier passed for 36 touchdowns with only one interception, and was a lock-down corner on a defense that shut out four opponents and held explosive Coleville to its fewest points since 2006 in a 40-6 victory in the state final.

“It’s hard to argue when a kid does that and we put a schedule together like we scheduled this season,” Higbee said.

Pahranagat Valley’s schedule included wins over California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Eight-Man Division II semifinalist Joshua Springs and Idaho Class 1A Division II state champion Carey.

Hosier shared Offensive Player of the Year with Indian Springs senior quarterback Adam Reinke.

Reinke, also a linebacker, split Defensive Player of the Year with Pahranagat Valley senior linebacker Kale Leavitt.

Coach of the Year was shared by Spring Mountain’s Aaron Masden and Tonopah’s Duffy Otteson.