Mountain View football dethrones Rocky Mountain. The win came with a 3-foot-long ax.
The ax is finally changing hands.
A Mountain View High School football booster created the traveling trophy for the Battle of the Mountains rivalry with Rocky Mountain four years ago. But for the past three years, the Mavericks were forced to watch the Grizzlies hoist the 50-pound trophy, complete with a detachable, 3-foot-long fireman’s ax.
Mountain View senior linebacker Brayden Garrison called the losing streak humiliating. But the Mavericks don’t need to feel humiliated anymore.
No. 3-ranked Mountain View finally hoisted that ax in the air Friday, hanging on to top the No. 2-ranked Grizzlies 26-20 on their home field. The win snapped the defending state champ’s 10-game winning streak and their 29-game winning streak against 5A Southern Idaho Conference opponents.
“I’ve been here since freshman year,” Mountain View running back Quintez Evans said. “... You always come to the varsity games, and it was painful. We knew we wanted this one for a long time. So it feels so good right now.”
The Mavericks (2-0) made sure Evans was the first one to hoist the fireman’s ax after an iron-man performance. The senior racked up 30 carries, finishing the night with 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Cramps sent him to the sideline in the third quarter. With the pain he showed, Mountain View coach Judd Benedick said he figured the Mavericks would need to finish the night without their top running back.
But Evans returned for the final series, carrying the ball 11 straight times to drain the final 5 minutes, 11 seconds off the clock and secure the win.
“I just knew my team needed me,” Evans said. “All of our running backs can get it done. But I didn’t want to have that feeling in my stomach tomorrow morning, so I was like, ‘I need to get my butt back in.’”
ANOTHER SECOND-HALF SHUTOUT
Mountain View jumped out to a 19-0 lead Friday. And a second-half shutout from its defense for the second straight week made the lead stand up.
Rocky Mountain did score in the second half. Troy Wilkey intercepted a fourth-down pass on the first drive after halftime, returning it 65 yards for a score and cutting the deficit to 26-20. But the Grizzlies offense could never get rolling.
Garrison ended Rocky Mountain’s most threatening drive, leaping to full extension and batting down a fourth-and-goal pass inside his own 5-yard line with 5:11 remaining. Evans and Mountain View’s offensive line took care of the rest.
“This guy makes plays all over the field, all the time, every game,” Benedick said. “He is sort of my security blanket. I just know he’s gonna get it done.
“It doesn’t matter. Somehow, some way, he’s going to be around the ball and make the play.”
A STATEMENT WIN
Friday marks the second straight primetime win for the Mavericks, who finished as the clear favorite in a 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll.
Mountain View has walked the walk so far, edging the No. 3 team in the poll, Meridian, 14-13 last week. It then took down Rocky Mountain, the No. 2 team in the poll, Friday.
But Garrison said there’s still a lot of season left.
“This is definitely big for us, and we’re super excited about it,” Garrison said. “Rocky’s no slouch. That’s one of the toughest teams in the state every single year.
“But we know we’re not done. We know that’s nice, but we’ll definitely be seeing these boys again.”
A REMATCH?
Garrison and Benedick both said they expect to see Rocky Mountain (1-1) again. The rivals play in opposite divisions in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference, meaning they could meet again in the conference championship game.
And a matchup in the playoffs remains likely, too.
“They, in my opinion, are the measuring stick right now in our state, and that’s just based on what they’ve done,” Benedick said of Rocky Mountain, noting the Grizzlies were 31-1 and had won two state titles in the past three years entering the season.
“... You celebrate tonight. But you also got to know that the next time you play them, it’s going to be just as much of a battle to get a victory.”
UP NEXT
Both teams open their division schedule next week.
Rocky Mountain travels to rival Eagle (2-0) next Friday in the Herb Criner Bowl, while Mountain View takes on Borah (0-2) at Dona Larsen Park.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 11:17 PM.
