Out of quarantine and into the state finals. Rocky Mountain survives ‘awful’ two weeks
Donal Kaehler let out a sigh and dropped his shoulders.
The Rocky Mountain girls soccer coach just watched his team beat Timberline 3-1 on Monday in the 5A state tournament semifinals, giving them a shot to win an unprecedented third straight championship Tuesday.
But two weeks of handling a coronavirus scare and quarantine weighed on the Grizzlies and their coach, a former virologist.
“It was just awful,” Kaehler said.
Kaehler learned one Rocky Mountain player tested positive for the coronavirus before the Grizzlies’ district semifinal on Oct. 13. He said Central District Health allowed his team to keep playing while it finished its investigation. But the local health agency warned him not to count on going to state.
Central District Health ruled five players, including three starters, out the next day before the district championship game. Then it sent the entire team into a quarantine, canceling all practices before the state tournament.
“It was day to day,” Kaehler said. “One day to the next, we had no idea if we were going to get to play.”
But Central District Health eventually cleared Rocky Mountain just in time for the state tournament, Kaehler said. And the Grizzlies let loose in their first game in Coeur d’Alene, routing Madison 12-0.
A snowstorm sent the tournament to Middleton on Monday, where Kelsey Oyler (17th minute), Kaitlyn Slocum (24th minute) and Violet Rademacher (63rd minute) all scored to lift the two-time defending state champion back into the finals.
Rocky Mountain (14-1-0) faces Boise (14-0-0) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Middleton High in yet another rematch. The perennial powers played in the past two state championship games. Rocky Mountain won both in shootouts, but Boise bested the Grizzlies 2-1 for the district title two weeks ago.
“We’ve had a couple rocky starts these past couple weeks, a lot of unfortunate things with COVID,” Oyler said. “So the fact that we could come and get into this game is crazy because we had a week where we didn’t see each other.”
Kaehler reiterated Central District Health cleared his team to play before each and every game. He tried to prepare his players for a moment like this all season, warning them nothing is guaranteed during a global pandemic. But he still had to console players in tears afraid their season was over.
“I’ve told them from the very beginning we have no idea if we’re going to even play a game this year,” Kaehler said. “I don’t know how far we’re going to get. I don’t know what the season is going to look like.
“We were just lucky to get through the season. That was awesome. Getting to districts, that was good. And now we’re going to state. I mean, we did everything.”
Oyler said the Grizzlies have tried to stay positive through all the ups and downs. The close-knit team returned 10 starters from a year ago, and many played on the 2018 championship team as well.
A win Tuesday could make that group one of the most decorated teams in Idaho’s history. No 5A boys or girls soccer team has ever won three consecutive state titles since the Idaho High School Activities Association began sponsoring the tournament in 2000.
“As long as we get to be out here and actually play state, that’s the whole goal,” Oyler said. “At the beginning of the season, we didn’t even know if we were going to have a state tournament. So the fact that we’re here being able to play is awesome.”
BOISE BOYS SOCCER ADVANCE TO 5A FINALS
The Boise High boys soccer team is really racking up the miles. But it isn’t complaining.
The Brave blitzed conference rival Eagle 5-1 in the 5A state tournament semifinals Monday at Middleton High, clinching Boise a spot in the state finals Tuesday — in Twin Falls.
Boise (10-2-0) will face Thunder Ridge (14-2-2) at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Canyon Ridge High, the latest part of its whirlwind tour of Idaho that will include 1,092 roundtrip miles before it’s over.
“We’re really getting the Idaho roadtrip in,” Boise senior midfielder Jack Goode joked.
Boise traveled to Post Falls last week for the original site of the 5A state tournament. But a snowstorm canceled its semifinal match against Eagle moments before kickoff, sending the game to Middleton on Monday.
The reschedule didn’t phase the Brave, who scored early and often. Goode drew first blood in the 2nd minute, burying a centering pass from Toby Caldera inside the 8-yard box. Then the floodgates opened as Boise scored again in the 22nd (Caldera), 26th (Nick Liebich) and 28th minutes (Goode) to build an insurmountable 4-0 lead.
“We haven’t really jumped on teams lately,” Boise coach Mike Darrow said. “We haven’t scored a lot of goals in the first half. So to get that and have that edge right off the bat really, really opened things up for us.”
Darrow said Boise has taken the season’s fits and starts in stride. The coronavirus hung over anything, just like it did for everyone else. Boise couldn’t even host a full practice until Sept. 8, well after their counterparts in the West Ada School District and around the state.
So a freak October snowstorm was just the latest curveball in a series of them.
“We weren’t sure if we’re gonna play a game to begin the year,” Darrow said. “We started in groups of five or 10, so it was a little difficult for us. But from where they started and where they’re at, there’s just been such a huge jump. It’s been fun to watch.”
Goode said he’s tried to remain grateful for any opportunity to play, whether that comes in a snowstorm, three days later in Middleton or on a Tuesday in Twin Falls.
“I have a lot of friends in other places who I have played with who aren’t able to play,” Goode said. “It isn’t a given that we’re able to play, so we’re playing every game like someone might get COVID and the season might get canceled.”
Eagle (10-3-2) drops into the third-place game, where it will face Rocky Mountain (12-2-1) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Middleton.
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 11:58 PM.
