Some ‘butt kickers’ and a backup QB carry Capital football into the 5A SIC title game
Friday started as a disaster for the Capital High football team.
Starting quarterback Max Clark injured his right shoulder early. And backup Avery Downey couldn’t relieve him until the second quarter.
But the Eagles’ defense pitched a shutout, and Downey racked up four total touchdowns once he entered the lineup as Capital ran away with a 25-0 victory over Timberline.
The win clinched Capital the 5A SIC East Division title and a spot in the Southern Idaho Conference’s inaugural championship game Oct. 23.
“I can’t even imagine that I go from playing JV to having to start now and having an opportunity to play in the game,” a stunned Downing said after the game. “It’s huge. It’s awesome.”
Capital coach Todd Simis said he tries to let his backups, especially juniors, play at least one quarter in junior varsity games. But the move nearly backfired as Clark landed awkwardly on his throwing shoulder on a read-option in the first quarter Friday.
Athletes can only play four quarters in a single week. So the Eagles (3-0, 3-0 5A SIC East) limped through the first quarter before Downey rode to the rescue in the second.
Downey admitted he felt like throwing up once Simis told him to get ready. But the nerves didn’t last long as he led Capital to three touchdowns on his first four drives before halftime.
He found Ethan Castillo on a post route for a 40-yard touchdown pass to break a scoreless tie. He then ran for a 30-yard TD and hit Kody Walk for a 13-yard, toe-tapping TD with 15 seconds left in the half.
The junior finished 10-of-17 for 157 yards and two TDs through the air, adding 61 yards and two more scores on nine carries.
Simis admitted he didn’t really know what Downey was capable of before Friday afternoon. He does now.
“We saw flashes,” Simis said of his limited playing time. “He’s pretty athletic, and he’s got a live arm.
“… He just made some plays. He throws a really good ball and is a little, kind of a swashbuckler or something. I don’t know what the word is. He’s kind of slippery, and he’s kind of got a little Brett Favre in him.”
Capital’s defense, meanwhile, stuffed Timberline (2-1, 2-1 5A SIC East). The Eagles broke through the line of scrimmage at will, forced two turnovers and kept the Wolves from ever seriously threatening.
Capital limited Timberline to 54 yards of offense, six first downs and an 0-for-11 performance on third down.
“Our ‘D,’ man, they were butt kickers tonight,” Simis said.
The Wolves only crossed midfield after Capital started the second half with a drive of negative-16 yards and a meager punt. But Jackson Reed snuffed out Timberline’s only chance at points by intercepting a pass in the end zone.
“It wasn’t the best we could ever play, but it was close,” Reed said. “We came out here and we did exactly what we needed to do, which is super special.”
Winning the East Division not only ensures Capital a spot in the first 5A SIC championship game. It also clinches the Eagles a bye into the state quarterfinals.
Capital must wait to find out who it will face in the league title game in two weeks. Rocky Mountain (4-0, 4-0 5A SIC West) holds the inside track, but it must beat Meridian (3-1, 3-1) next week to clinch the West title.
A Rocky Mountain loss could throw the division into a three-way tie, which would require tiebreakers to decide.
But Capital has one last obstacle before focusing on a conference title. It closes the regular season next week at rival Borah, which has won two in a row over Capital.
Friday’s win marks Capital’s 19th straight over Timberline. The Eagles are now 21-1 vs. their Boise School District opponent.
Timberline closes the regular season next week at Skyview. The winner of that game clinches second place in the East Division and will host the fifth-place team from the West in the cross-division games Oct. 23.
The Wolves must also win their cross-division game to clinch a playoff berth.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 8:27 PM.
