‘Wildest dreams’ come true. Eagle football demolishes another opponent for 2-0 start.
Eagle High football coach John Hartz never could have dreamed of this kind of start to the season.
He better start working on his imagination. Because after two weeks, the Mustangs have a pair of jaw-dropping blowout victories under their belts.
Eagle throttled perennial state power Mountain View 45-6 on Friday, falling one point shy of triggering the 40-point, running-clock mercy rule for the second week in a row.
A week after dismantling Kuna 64-0, the No. 4-ranked Mustangs (2-0, 2-0 5A SIC West) put together another top-to-bottom, dominant performance.
They racked up 651 yards of offense, including 512 on the ground. Senior quarterback Ben Ford accounted for 445 total yards and four touchdowns. And they held a Mountain View (0-2, 0-2) offense that led the 5A classification in scoring last year and brought back seven starters to a single first-quarter touchdown.
“I wouldn’t have thought that these two scores, in these first two weeks, would have been like this in my wildest dreams,” Hartz said. “But at the same time, if our defense plays like that, and then we can put Ben in on offense, that can be tough.”
Ford put together another dazzling performance, further putting to rest any doubts about his health. He missed the final four games last season after tearing an ACL and has rehabbed all offseason. But two weeks into the season, he said he’s back to 100% — and it’s hard to doubt him.
He showcased his arm against Kuna last week. But he showed his trademark burst Friday, breaking off a 65-yard TD run and another 70-yard run en route to 315 rushing yards and two TDs on 19 carries.
He also completed 11-of-17 passes for 130 yards and two TDs.
Ford wasn’t alone chewing up chunks of yards, though, as Eagle’s offensive line manhandled the Mavericks all night. Senior running back Jackson Stampfli served as the handoff option in Eagle’s zone-read attack, finishing with 182 yards on 16 carries, including an 82-yard TD run.
The duo did whatever they wanted. And Ford and Stampfli each led a one-play scoring drive as Eagle jumped out to a 28-6 lead with 7 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter.
“It just goes back to all the work ethic all summer, especially the seniors,” Ford said. “We’ve got a big, athletic, strong O-line and D-line. In the trenches, they’re playing fantastic every single week.”
That dominance carried over to the defense, which shut out a Kuna offense that led the 4A ranks in scoring last year and is led by Montana State-bound quarterback Sean Austin.
Eagle limited Mountain View to 237 total yards and forced two turnovers. It also made two goal-line stops, including one where Cortland Horton sliced through the line and knocked a fumble loose from quarterback Jake Farris’ hands before he could finish his second step away from center.
“It’s easy to get caught up in how many interviews Ben Ford does and how good he is because he is a special athlete,” Hartz said. “But there are a lot of kids playing at a super high level on this football team.”
Friday’s win sets up a showdown for Eagle at Rocky Mountain (2-0, 2-0 5A SIC West) next week in the annual Herb Criner Bowl rivalry game.
The rivals started the year in opposing divisions. But this week’s SIC realignment added even more stakes to the game. That game will go a long way to deciding who wins the West Division and reaches this year’s 5A SIC championship game.
“I think it’s going to be pretty good,” Eagle senior linebacker Brett Tommasini said. “It’s gonna be a challenge. I’m excited to play.”
Mountain View fell to 0-2 for the first time in program history. The Mavericks will seek to avoid an 0-3 start at Meridian (2-0, 2-0 5A SIC West) next week.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 11:23 PM.
