It’s been one of the most successful Bonners Ferry High School football seasons in decades, winning the league championship, securing their first football playoff win since 2003 and going undefeated in regular season for the first time since 1974. Now three Badger football players have been named all-state by Idaho coaches.

The Idaho Statesman hosted the vote and published the results on Dec. 18 for the 47th edition of the All-Idaho high school football teams. Seniors Blake Rice, Charles and Cleo Henslee received the well-deserved honors.

Rice, an all-around athlete, played as quarterback, punter and kicker, and received first-team honors as punter. He averaged 41.6 yards per punt and pinned seven inside the 20-yard line. Rice was also the co-Intermountain League player of the year and received all-state second-team honors as kicker.

Charles “Wafflehouse” Henslee received first team honors for defensive back. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound senior delivered 7.6 tackles per game while adding two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Charles was also named IML Defensive Player of the Year.

Cleo Henslee, co-Intermountain League player of the year, received second-team honors as a linebacker.

“Our success this season put Bonners Ferry football back on the map in Idaho and helped us get people on the all-state team this year,” said Bonners Ferry head football coach Travis Hinthorn. “A lot of the voting is about name recognition throughout the state.”

“Charles had a great year at defensive back with 39 solo tackles and 37 assists, averaging 7.6 tackles a game. He is a ball hawk and is always in on the play,” Hinthorn said.

“Cleo is a great open field tackle,” he said. “He had 39 solo tackles and 14 of those were tackles for loss. He does a great job in coverage and reading screens. Cleo had 37 assists and was our leading tackler at 8.3 tackles a game.”

Rice had a great year, throwing for more than 1,000 yards, running for almost 600 and accounting for 20 touchdowns, he said.

“People saw the big booming punts for his 41.6 yards per punt average, but more impressive were his seven punts inside the 20-yard line. It was great that he was recognized for punting and kicking,” he said.

This season, the Badger nation came out in full force to watch and join in on the success of the team and these players. It was estimated that 1,200 people were in attendance at the play-off game against Wood River at Bonners Ferry on Oct. 29.

“These guys deserve this. They have put in a lot of work over the past six-plus years,” Hinthorn said.