Prep football roundup: Rocky Mtn rolls, Meridian is 2-0 and Middleton QB throws 5 TDs
Rocky Mountain scored 37 points in the first half alone but was perhaps more dominant on defense, shutting out Centennial 65-0 Friday night at Centennial High.
Jordan Erickson accounted for three of the Grizzlies’ nine touchdowns, scoring on a 65-yard run, an 8-yard pass and an 81-yard kickoff return. Justin Douglas only had two carries for the Grizzlies (2-0, 2-0 5A SIC West), but both finished in the end zone.
Arthur Williams and Maxwell Lehman helped Rocky Mountain collect 351 yards on the ground. Williams had 12 carries for 111 yards and a TD, and Lehman totaled 139 yards and a score on seven carries. Eight Grizzlies registered one carry or more.
The Rocky Mountain defense limited Centennial (0-2, 0-2 5A SIC West) to 126 total yards. Rocky also scored on a 1-yard fumble recovery by Zack Black, and Xander Nawahine added an interception.
Meridian 47, Kuna 36
Junior quarterback Malakai Martinez had a hand in five touchdowns as the Warriors improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2007.
Martinez completed 20-of-28 passes for 270 yards and four TDs to four different receivers. He also ran for 42 yards and another score.
Meridian jumped out to a 41-16 lead after three quarters and withstood Kuna’s 20 fourth-quarter points to hold on.
Kuna stats were not reported.
Vallivue 41, Ridgevue 14
Vallivue (3-0, 2-0 4A SIC) stretched its winning streak to three games by knocking out 4A SIC foe Ridgevue (1-1, 0-1 4A SIC).
The Falcons led 27-0 at halftime thanks to the play of quarterback Casey Cope. The junior accounted for three of the Falcons’ four first-half TDs and finished with 223 yards through the air and 96 on the ground. Junior Santiago Diaz added 18 carries for 78 yards and three touchdowns. Camryn Deane and Brayden Ary each caught a TD pass from Cope.
Quarterback Cole McDonald connected with receiver Kolton McKie for both of Ridgevue’s touchdowns.
Nampa 35, Columbia 7
Nampa coach Dan Holtry said his Bulldogs overcame a slow start to earn a victory in their season opener against rival Columbia.
Ryan Schuler led the way with 181 rushing yards and three TDs on 18 carries. Colton Seable also ran for 70 yards, and quarterback Isaak Plew ran for 67 yards and a TD as the Bulldogs racked up 334 rushing yards at 8.4 yards per carry.
Plew also threw for 55 yards and a another TD score.
“Overall I’m pleased,” Holtry said. “But we have a lot to prepare for as we move into BK week.”
Stats for Columbia were not reported.
Middleton 53, Homedale 28
Middleton (2-0) used a dominant passing game to hand Homedale (1-1) its first loss of the 2020 season.
Quarterback Ky McClure completed 23-of-35 pass attempts for 457 yards and five touchdowns. Receiver Mason Nichols caught two of those TD passes and finished with five receptions for 112 yards. Cash Cowdery led all receivers with seven receptions for 164 yards and one score.
Homedale racked up 395 yards on the ground, including 227 yards and a pair of TDs from Hayden Kincheloe.
Melba 28, Parma 14
Melba (1-1) led from start to finish to claim its first victory of the 2020 season with a defeat of Parma (0-3).
The 2A Mustangs took down the 3A Panthers with the help of a pair of 100-yard rushers. Zane Helm finished with 125 yards and two touchdowns, and Trace Stimpson totaled 137 yards and another score. Senior quarterback Henry Clark accounted for 152 total yards and two TDs.
Melba’s defense was paced by Easton Draper with 10 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception. Gabe Shafer also added a pick.
Payette 34, Marsing 16
No details were reported.
Cole Valley Christian 58, Wendell 0
No details were reported.
Gooding 34, Nampa Christian 12
Nampa Christian and Gooding were tied 6-6 at halftime, but Gooding took over in the second half to grab the win.
Gooding silenced Nampa Christian’s ground game, as the Trojans (1-2) finished with -5 rush yards. Nampa Christian QB Landon Cheney completed 22-of-38 pass attempts for 301 yards with TD passes to Josh Tiersma and Dane Bradshaw.
Notus 26, Horseshoe Bend 16
Notus won the clash of 8-man unbeatens by taking down Horseshoe Bend (2-1) on its own turf.
Elijah Martin spearheaded the Pirates’ victory with 15 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Carter Woodland added 11 carries for 82 yards and a score. Kieran Miraz made nine solo tackles with three sacks to lead Notus (2-0) on the defensive end.
Colten Meyer hit Caedmon Graham with two TD passes to lead Horseshoe Bend.
Timberline (Weippe) 72, Salmon River 12
No details were reported.
Garden Valley 57, Wilder 14
No details were reported.
TWO GAMES CANCELED DUE TO COVID
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Idaho schools led to the cancellation of two football games this weekend: Weiser at Grangeville and New Plymouth at Soda Springs. Neither game will be rescheduled.
The Mountain View School District, home to Grangeville, announced a positive test in a statement Thursday. Weiser Superintendent Wade Wilson said a football player tested positive in an email to the Idaho Statesman.
The Mountain View School District said in its statement it is working to find any close contacts that may have been exposed Sept. 2 through Sept. 4. The individual has not come to school since Tuesday, it added.
“We were notified (Thursday) evening that Grangeville had a football player who recently tested positive for COVID, and we were not able to gain a clear understanding of the possible exposures other players on the Grangeville team may have had,” Wilson said. “In the short time we had to consider the information that we received, we elected to cancel the contest out of an abundance of caution for our team.”
Meanwhile, Soda Springs Principal Jess McMurray confirmed multiple cases at his school in an email to the Idaho Statesman. But he would not say if they were part of the football team or if the football team is under quarantine.
The Idaho State Journal reported Thursday Soda Springs’ volleyball team is under a quarantine after one player tested positive for COVID-19. McMurray would not confirm that report either.
Losing Soda Springs represents a second game New Plymouth lost this week. The Pilgrims originally planned to play McCall-Donnelly. But McCall’s school board will not let any of its teams play schools from a county that remains under a red or orange coronavirus health alert, McCall-Donnelly Athletic Director Conor Kennedy said this week.
Payette County remains the only county in the state still in the red category of community spread, the highest in Idaho’s back-to-school guidelines. New Plymouth football coach Dallan Rupp said the Pilgrims have no positive cases on their team.
Weiser and New Plymouth are the third and fourth Treasure Valley football teams to lose a game due to confirmed COVID-19 cases. Payette canceled its season opener with Cole Valley Christian and put its entire football team under quarantine after discovering positive cases its first week of practice.
FIRE POSTPONES GAME
Friday’s Tri-Valley at Idaho City game was postponed to Oct. 16 due to the Woodland Fire burning near Cambridge. The latest maps show the perimeter about 2 miles north of the Cambridge city center.
The fire has burned 63 square miles northwest of Cambridge and was 14% contained as of noon Friday. Cambridge closed its schools Wednesday, and Highway 71 between Cambridge and the Oregon border is also closed. Multiple areas are under evacuation with Cambridge High serving as an evacuation center.
The Tri-Valley athletic program is a combined effort of Cambridge and Midvale high schools. It plays 8-man football in Idaho’s smallest classification, 1A Division II.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 2:38 PM.
