Rocky Mountain, Eagle honor longtime coach Herb Criner

Herb Criner, a longtime coach and mentor to countless Idaho football players, died April 2. But his legacy will continue with the creation of the Herb Criner Bowl.

The annual football game will be contested between West Ada schools Eagle and Rocky Mountain, with the winner taking home a traveling trophy to display at their school until the next contest.

On Friday, Eagle won the inaugural game 30-20 over Rocky Mountain, which is coached by Criner’s son, Scott.

Scott and Herb led the Grizzlies to the program’s first state championship last fall in what ended up being their final season coaching together.

“It’s about high school football in the Valley and understanding that it’s a cherished territory,” Eagle coach Paul Peterson said. “Scott Criner is a great friend of mine, and we want to make sure that we represent high school football in a positive light, and that’s what this is about.”

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 11:35 PM with the headline "Rocky Mountain, Eagle honor longtime coach Herb Criner."