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IDAHO MATADORS
(2005 - 2016)

Meridian, Idaho
Simplot Stadium



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Joining the Rocky Mountain Football League as a newly formed team in 2005, Jesus Jara led the Matadors to their first victory in week three over the Snake River Sabercats enroute to 3-6 inaugural season.  Yharmann Williams and Jerry Smith earned all-league nods for their efforts on the season.  Smith tallied 670 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns, while Yharmann snagged 9 interceptions to set the bar in the Matador record books.

The 2006 season kicked off with a 9-7 victory over Pocatello only for the wheels come off the season as the 'Dors dropped nine games.  With only up to go, Idaho improved to 5-5 the following season with a playoff appearance, but sparks of life began to emerge on offense.  The arrival of running back Anthony Pomerlee gave the Matadors a new-found rushing identity as Pomerlee ran for nearly 1,000 yards on the season scoring 11 touchdowns.

The 2008 team rode the legs of Pomerlee to the RMFL Championship game as he set a regional record 19 rushing TDs on the season to go with 1,510 yards which still sits as #4 all-time in the Northwest Rushing annals.  Pomerlee was voted the league MVP, but the Matadors couldn't close the deal as the Eastern Idaho Lionz escaped the championship game with a 21-20 overtime victory.

Following the season a story read: "In an effort to put the best football players together that the Treasure Valley has to offer, former rivals the Idaho Matadors and Boise Speed will merge into one program.  The main reason for the change is to build a team that is capable of competing and winning in the Rocky Mountain Football League AAA Division."  The resulting team was named the Treasure Valley Spartans.  This merger created an abundance of players, so it was decided Treasure Valley would operate two teams, one in each of the RMFL's AA and AAA Divisions.  The "Spartans" of the AA Division, were to be called the Boise Bombers, but utilized the shared uniforms with the AAA team, so it was decided to remain the Spartans in both division leading to some confusion at times as to which team was playing each week.  Star, Anthony Pomerlee and others would don the maroon and gray of the Spartans for the 2009 season.  Offensive Lineman Todd Rietman, Pomerlee, wide receiver Britt Hall would lead the offense of the Spartans and receive RMFL accolades.

Following the AAA run as the Spartans, the Matadors franchise returned in 2010 to the AA ranks, while both Spartan squads remained.  The Matadors would take on their old mates defeating them 28-7 on the way to a 4-4 campaign.  The 2011 team would have a better showing at first, starting out with five victories only lose their final three by a total of 11 points including a 10-3 playoff loss to the Sabercats.

2012 marked the return of some big names to the roster, none bigger than Anthony Pomerlee at running back and Jovan Lincoln at wide receiver.  This offensive infusion brought the Matador offense to life as the team ripped out to a 10-game win streak amassing 372 points.  Pomerlee rushed for 1,425 yards and 14 touchdowns while Lincoln accounted for 12 scores on his way to 689 receiving yards.  Pomerlee earned his second career RMFL AA Most Valuable Player award, but one again the Matadors were thwarted in their quest for the crown, falling to the Bitterroot Blaze 33-18 in the championship game.

2013 marked a new era for the Matadors as Quarterback Tom Bennett, after throwing for 8,030 yards and 86 career touchdowns from 2005-2012 stepped away from the team to start the Idaho Lancers.  New quarterback Mitch Bourner would set a team record 1,538 yards passing on the season with 21 scores, and last years MVP Anthony Pomerlee would collect only 405 yards and two scores while splitting time with Rory Fawley and QB dual threat Bourner got his legs into the mix.  Fawley and Bourner combined for 965 yards rushing and eight TDs.  The result was an 8-3 season, with two losses coming at the hands of some familiar faces who were now with the Boise Generals.  Those Generals defeated Idaho twice in the final three games, the last 31-14 loss knocking the 'Dors from the playoffs.  That would also mark the end of the Pomerlee era with the Matadors after recording 46 touchdowns and over 4,500 yards and two MVP awards, the backfield would lose one of the Rocky Mountain League's top performers from 2007-2013.

After a solid eight year run, 2014 got off to an 0-2 mark before scoring a win over the revamped and diminished Generals, themselves starting out 0-3.  The Matadors would miss the playoffs and finish with a losing record for the first time since 2006.  The next year, in 2015 the slip became worse and Idaho managed just one win, a 13-12 overtime thriller over the Magic Valley Bulldawgs in the second-to-last game of a 1-7 season.

2016 was going to be a change of scenery as the Matadors would look locally to a new league and joined the Idaho Contact League.  A former 9-man league that had moved up to 11-man, the 'Dors looked for a fresh start.  The league may have changed, but the results were roughly the same as the team opened 0-2 to start ICFL play and would finish 3-6 in a 42-26 playoff loss to the Idaho Black Tide.

After three straight losing seasons in two different leagues, in January of 2017 with just a few weeks before kickoff, the Idaho Tribe initiated a merger that brought the entire Matador staff and many players into the Tribe organization that was already riding a 21-game ICFL win streak and securing back-to-back championships in the new league.  The merger would bring the Tribe two more ICFL titles for a league record four-straight in the first four years of operation at the 11-man level.

In 2022, after six years dormant, the Matador name was rekindled in the ICFL and a new run began as 'version 2.0' hit the scene.

 


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2x MVP Anthony Pomerlee



Tom Bennett - #2 Oldest QB to throw a TD pass at age 53



Matador levels a General 2012

2005
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 3-6
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara

2005 Awards

Yharmann Williams (LB) 2nd Team All-League
Jerry Smith (WR) 2nd Team All-League

2006
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 1-9
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara

2007
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 5-5
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara

2007 Awards

Javon Lincoln (WR) 1st Team All-League
Nick Russell (DB) 1st Team All-League
Anthony Pomerlee (RB) 2nd Team All-League

2008
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 8-3
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara

* Rocky Mountain League Central Division Champions *

2008 Awards

Anthony Pomerlee (RB) RMFL MVP
Jovan Lincoln (WR) RMFL Offensive MVP
Anthony Pomerlee (RB) 1st Team All-League
Justin McNicholl (TE) 1st Team All-League
Nick Russell (DB) 1st Team All-League
Logan Rupp (DB) 1st Team All-League

2009
Rocky Mountain Football League AAA
Record: Played as Treasure Valley Spartans
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara
Asst Jerry Smith

2010
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 4-4
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara
Asst Tom Dowers (DC), Jerry Smith, Ernesto Garza

2010 Awards

James Cluphf (WR) 2nd Team All-League
Joel Gunstream (DE) 2nd Team All-League
Nick Fuls (DB) 3rd Team All-League
Orlando Garcia (RB) Hon Mention All-League
Bobby Brace (OL) Hon Mention All-League
Cory Dickard (OL) Hon Mention All-League
Mario Lopez (LB) Hon Mention All-League
Chris Douglass (DL) Hon Mention All-League

2011
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 6-3
GM Jesus Jara
Coach Jesus Jara
Asst Tom Dowers (DC), Jerry Smith, Ernesto Garza, Doug Smith

2011 Awards

Jerry Smith (WR) 1st Team All-League
Bobby Brace (OL) 1st Team All-League
Tom Dowers (SS) 1st Team All-League
Mitch Borner (WR) 2nd Team All-Leauge

2012
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 10-1
Coach Jesus Jara

2012 Awards

Anthony Pomerlee (RB) RMFL AA MVP


2013
Rocky Mountain Football League AA
Record: 8-3
GM/Coach Jesus Jara


2014
Rocky Mountain Football League
Record: 4-5
Managers Tom Dowers, Cody Heller, Trevor Reece
Coach


2015
Rocky Mountain Football League
Record: 1-7
Coach


2016
Idaho Contact Football League
Record: 3-6
Coach James Felhaber





Schedules and Results
Date Opponent Score
2005 Apr 16 Idaho Falls Mustangs 16-26
2005 Apr 23 Davis Vipers 0-22
2005 Apr 30 Snake River Sabercats 34-13
2005 May 7 Boise Roughriders 6-26
2005 May 14 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 10-29
2005 May 21 Snake River Sabercats 12-0
2005 June 4 Boise Roughriders 7-16
2005 June 11 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 26-6
     
     
2006 Apr 15 Pocatello Predators 9-7
2006 Apr 22 Madison Lionz 20-51
2006 Apr 29 Idaho Falls Mustangs 6-40
2006 May 6 Boise Roughriders 17-26
2006 May 13 Utah Heat 0-21
2006 May 20 Boise Roughriders 0-34
2006 June 4 Madison Lionz 6-73
2006 June 10 Idaho Falls Mustangs 0-58
2006 June 17 Pocatello Predators L FFT
     
     
2007 Apr 14 Bear River Valley Rockets 0-38
2007 Apr 21 Davis Vipers 0-40
2007 Apr 28 Morgan Marauders 43-6
2007 May 5 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 16-9
2007 May 12 Snake River Sabercats 51-22
2007 May 19 Davis Vipers 16-70
2007 June 2 Snake River Sabercats 67-14
2007 June 9 Morgan Marauders 65-0
2007 June 16 Bear River Valley Rockets (Playoff) 19-38
     
     
2008 Apr 12 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 26-16
2008 Apr 19 Boise Speed 14-21
2008 Apr 26 Boise Speed 13-30
2008 May 3 Snake River Sabercats 31-0
2008 May 10 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 20-16
2008 May 17 Snake River Sabercats 55-16
2008 May 31 Helena Titans 37-7
2008 June 7 Uintah Basin Oilers 88-12
2008 June 14 Morgan Marauders (Playoff) 46-12
2008 June 21 Boise Speed (Playoff) 22-19
2008 June 28 Eastern Idaho Lionz (Championship) 20-21 OT
     
     
2009 Played as Treasure Valley Spartans  
     
     
2010 Apr 10 Arco Anarchy 19-34
2010 Apr 17 Idaho Falls Mustangs 18-14
2010 Apr 24 Snake River Sabercats 13-14
2010 May 1 Treasure Valley Spartans 28-7
2010 May 15 Missoula Phoenix 14-0
2010 May 22 Wyoming Thunder 23-14
2010 June 5 Arco Anarchy 27-21
2010 June 12 Logan Stampede 14-16
     
     
2011 Mar 26 Idaho Falls Mustangs  
2011 Apr 9 @ Snake Riber Sabercats 7-0
2011 Apr 16 David Vipers 56-2
2011 Apr 23 Wyoming Thunder W FFT
2011 Apr 30 @ Missoula Phoenix 26-18
2011 May 7 Helena Bearcats 36-8
2011 May 14 Uintah Basin Oilers 48-0
2011 May 21 @ Utah Cobras 7-10
2011 June 11 @ Mini Cassia Diggers 24-26
2011 June 18 Snake River Sabercats (Playoff) 3-10
     
     
2012 Apr 7 Gem State Guardians 84-0
2012 Apr 21 Idaho Falls Mustangs 38-8
2012 Apr 28 Arco Anarchy 26-6
2012 May 5 Snake River Sabercats 42-12
2012 May 12 Boise Generals 41-38
2012 May 19 Upper Valley Vikings 34-18
2012 June 2 Mini Cassia Diggers 28-3
2012 June 9 Boise Generals 21-12
2012 June 16 Logan Stampede (Playoff) 42-16
2012 June 23 Missoula Phoenix (Playoff) 16-12
2012 June 30 Bitterroot Blaze (Championship) 18-33
     
     
2013 Mar 31 Waitsburg Elite 32-7
2013 Apr 6 Idaho Lancers 60-0
2013 Apr 13 Arco Anarchy 24-8
2013 Apr 20 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 3-7
2013 Apr 27 Mini Cassia Diggers 49-14
2013 May 5 Gem State Guardians 57-0
2013 May 11 Upper Valley Vikings 35-0
2013 May 25 Idaho Falls Mustangs 13-8
2013 June 8 Boise Generals 16-18
2013 June 15 Billings Bullets (Playoff) 20-14
2013 June 22 Boise Generals (Playoff) 14-31
     
     
2014 Apr 5 Arco Anarchy 21-24
2014 Apr 12 Montana Blaze 8-12
2014 Apr 19 Boise Generals 16-13
2014 May 3 Great Falls Gladiators 24-0
2014 May 10 Wasatch Revolution 23-28
2014 May 17 Utah Shock 0-17
2014 May 31 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 7-34
2014 June 7 Gem State Guardians 40-0
     
     
2015 Apr 11 Loco Express 6-40
2015 Apr 18 Logan Stampede 0-18
2015 Apr 25 Arco Anarchy 7-42
2015 May 2 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 7-25
2015 May 9 Idaho Falls Mustangs 6-27
2015 May 16 Brigham Sting 0-40
2015 May 30 Magic Valley Bulldawg 13-12 OT
2015 June 6 Arco Anarchy 0-18
     
     
2016 Mar 26 Idaho Black Tide 12-19
2016 Apr 2 Idaho Wildcats 7-47
2016 Apr 9 @ Valley Rangers 42-18
2016 Apr 16 @ Boise Oilers 12-15
2016 Apr 30 @ Idaho Tribe 2-44
2016 May 7 Magic Valley Bulldawgs 19-6
2016 May 14 @ Boise Roughriders 18-33
2016 May 21 Treasure Valley Invaders 25-8
2016 June 4 Idaho Black Tide (Playoff) 26-42
     
     
  Idaho Matadors Version 2 : 2022  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
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