<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Lizqv_1EKKz30f00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Lizqv_1EKKz30f00" width="1600" height="900" ><figcaption>After finishing the 2025-26 season with a middle-of-the-pack 5-4 record, the Gooding Senators are gearing up for the upcoming season with their eyes set on a conference title. (KMVT)</figcaption></figure>GOODING, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — After finishing the 2025-26 season with a middle-of-the-pack 5-4 record, the Gooding Senators are gearing up for the upcoming season with their eyes set on a conference title. Gooding finished third in the 4A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference last year, trailing rivals Kimberly and Buhl.Now entering his second year at the helm, head coach Jon Helmandollar is looking to guide the Senators to their first conference championship since 2021, when current Burley head coach Cameron Andersen led the program.Helmandollar expressed deep gratitude for how quickly the local community has rallied behind his squad.“I just learned that the players and community really buy into football,” Helmandollar said. “When I first got there, I didn’t know what to expect. The support the community has given us, the players, and the work ethic has been impressive.”While bringing home the school’s first state championship since the 1980s remains the ultimate goal, Helmandollar emphasizes that his primary focus extends far beyond the scoreboard.“The goal is to develop players so they go out in the community and succeed long-term. That’s always been my goal, and football provides all those opportunities for lifelong lessons,” Helmandollar explained. “But our goal is always to win a state championship. That’s our goal every year.”To get there, the Senators will need to evolve. Last season, Gooding averaged roughly 29 points per game behind a run-heavy offensive scheme. This year, senior quarterback Cougar Stockham expects a more balanced approach to keep opposing defenses on their heels.“I think we’re going to improve on our passing game,” Stockham said. “We did lose a lot of seniors, but we have these young guys and they are gonna step up. And then our run game is still going to be pretty good.”For senior wide receiver Bridger Pope, the key to unlocking the team’s full potential lies in their connection off the field.“I think the number one thing that we can probably change as a program is to be so much closer together as teammates,” Pope said. “If we get a lot closer, I feel like we’ll play for each other rather than just the scoreboard. We’ll have a bond that’ll make it hard to lose.”The Senators will officially begin their quest for a conference title on the road when they face the Jerome Tigers on Friday, August 28.</div></body>

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GOODING, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — After finishing the 2025-26 season with a middle-of-the-pack 5-4 record, the Gooding Senators are gearing up for the upcoming season with their eyes set on a conference title. Gooding finished third in the 4A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference last year, trailing rivals Kimberly and Buhl.

Gooding Senators eyeing first conference title since 2021

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GOODING, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — After finishing the 2025-26 season with a middle-of-the-pack 5-4 record, the Gooding Senators are gearing up for the upcoming 

Gooding Senators eyeing first conference title since 2021

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