Soccer season preview: Poky in search of second title in 3 years; Marsh Valley, American Falls, Highland look to back up strong seasons

EASTERN IDAHO — Four local girls’ soccer teams finished their seasons in the state tournament, with the Highland Rams and Marsh Valley Eagles bringing home hardware.

American Falls lost to Sun Valley in the 4A consolation championship, and Pocatello dropped its third-place matchup with Hillcrest.

All four teams look to improve on their 2025 finishes, while several other squads have gotten off to solid starts in hopes of challenging.

4A

The Marsh Valley Eagles are coming off a conference championship and second-place finish at the 4A state tournament — after falling 4-0 to the Sugar-Salem Diggers in the title match.

This year, Marsh Valley High School has dropped from the 4A division to 3A. But that does not mean the Eagles (1-1, 0-0) are safe from facing the now-three-peat state champion Diggers, though that would have been “the biggest blessing in the world for us,” according to head coach Jeff Smedley.

With few 3A schools fielding girls’ soccer teams, those that do must compete in the 4A division.

Smedley coached the boys’ team at Marsh Valley last season but stepped into the same role with the girls’ team this year.

The Eagles graduated five seniors from last year and also lost junior goalkeeper Zayli Merzlock, who moved away, according to Smedley. Sophomore McKelle East has stepped into Merzlock’s role.

For the most part, though, Marsh Valley had a young team in 2025, including junior Isabelle Bastian, who led the team in goals (13) as a sophomore a year ago.

Bastian has scored a goal in each of Marsh Valley’s games this season and leads the team in shots (15).

“(Bastian) is a phenomenal player, but what we need is, we need to play as a team,” Smedley said after a 2-1 loss to Sugar-Salem on Thursday. “The better we play, as a team, the better she’ll play — and our other forwards — and that’s what we’re going to be working on.”

American Falls qualified for the state tournament but lost to conference foe Marsh Valley in the first round, winning consecutive games before being eliminated with a consolation game loss.

The Beavers (0-1, 0-0) lost 7-0 to South Fremont in their first game of the season on Saturday.

Snake River (3-0, 1-0) and Preston (3-0, 0-0) are off to hot starts in 2026 and are looking to knock the Eagles off their perch at the top of the conference. Malad (0-3, 0-0) and Aberdeen (0-1, 0-1), like American Falls, are looking for their first wins of the season.

5A

The Pocatello Thunder (3-1, 3-1) fell short of earning a trophy last season when they lost to Hillcrest in the 5A third-place game. The biggest difference between last year’s squad — at least in the second half of the season — and the state champions the prior year was the absence of Aryanna Gonzalez.

Gonzalez scored 29 goals in 2024, as a sophomore, the sixth-most in the state.

She scored 18 goals last year, according to head coach Mark Wetstein, in just eight games before a knee injury ended her season.

Now, Gonzalez is back. She is physically 100% and mentally as strong as ever, Wetstein said. Plus, she had some “bitterness” after having her junior season end prematurely, and is ready to put up her best season yet.

Through four games, Gonzalez has scored 10 goals, including three against Shelley and four against Bonneville, new conference foes.

Adding her to the mix with fellow senior co-captains Brynlee Pool and Camryn Tatom, and junior goalie Madysen Torngren, who tallied 293 saves a year ago, and Pocatello has a solid nucleus.

But, Wetstein insisted, the Thunder’s biggest strength in 2026 will be depth.

The Pocatello roster goes two or three deep at every position with players Wetstein trusts completely.

“In that sense, we are a stronger team,” he said.

The Century Diamondbacks (0-3, 0-3), under first-year head coach Mikiya Pufall, have yet to find the win column.

Century and Pocatello, the two remaining members of District 5’s 5A division, have joined with District 6 this season, meaning the Diamondbacks will play just one non-conference game.

6A

District 5’s lone 6A team, the Highland Rams, brought a consolation trophy home from last year’s state tournament.

Though 2026 graduate Devree Bell was the offensive leader last season, Alexis Vawdrey, now a junior, and Taryn Roth, now a senior, were huge pieces to the squad’s offensive success.

Vawdrey was second on the team in goals last year, with 17, with Roth adding 14 to finish third — behind Bell’s 26.

That being said, Highland (1-4, 0-0) has yet to find its footing in 2026, having been outscored 10 to five in four games, including a 4-3 home loss to Eagle on Saturday.

The Rams open their conference season Tuesday night, when they host Thunder Ridge (1-4, 0-0).