Prep football playoffs: Eagle wins on road; Highland edges Rocky with late field goal
Ian Hershey’s leg lifted Highland into the 5A state semifinals.
Hershey nailed a 45-yard field goal with 3:25 remaining and the Highland defense stopped Rocky Mountain’s final drive on downs for a 22-21 quarterfinal win Friday at Rocky Mountain High.
The Rams (9-2) will be back in the Treasure Valley next week to face Eagle, which upset Coeur d’Alene 23-14 on the road.
Rocky Mountain led 7-3 at halftime and as much as 21-3 in the third quarter before Highland scored 19 unanswered points for the comeback win.
Hershey also connected on a record-setting 58-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, breaking the previous school record of 53 yards set in 2002, according to Highland coach Gino Mariani.
No individual statistics were reported for Rocky Mountain (7-3).
Eagle 23, Coeur d’Alene 14
Eagle was facing a playoff game on the road without its leading running back, but the tough odds didn’t faze the Mustangs.
Junior Roy Hull carried the load in place of injured Deegan Martinho, collecting two touchdowns and 97 yards on 19 carries as Eagle won its first road playoff game since 2009.
The upset victory means Eagle will host Highland — a 22-21 winner over Rocky Mountain — in the semifinals next week.
Senior quarterback Jack Benson went 17-for-28 passing for 252 yards, including a 72-yard TD toss to Ian Duarte with 2:35 left in the game. Duarte finished with a game-leading eight receptions for 168 yards, and kicker Ethan Cutler started the scoring for Eagle with a 21-yard field goal in the first quarter.
Rigby 41, Capital 14
Rigby held Capital scoreless in the second half in the final game for longtime Eagles coach Todd Simis, who announced he is retiring.
Tiger Adolpho was 13-for-17 through the air for 271 yards and two touchdowns to lead Rigby, which will play at Meridian next week.
Jacob Olson ran for 117 yards and a TD on 21 carries to lead Capital (7-4). Kody Walk finished with 21 offensive touches for 117 yards. And quarterback Max Clark went 23-of-47 for 252 yards and a TD.
The loss leaves Simis with a career record of 139-106 (.567), including 135-55 (.711) at Capital.
Blackfoot 28, Nampa 14
Nampa hurt its own cause with four turnovers — two fumbles and two interceptions — and failed to score until the fourth quarter of its 4A state quarterfinal loss to Blackfoot.
The Bulldogs (6-5) threw an interception on their opening drive, hinting at what was to come.
Blackfoot scored its first touchdown of the game on a drive that was set up by a Nampa fumble, and the Broncos pushed their lead to 28-0 early in the fourth before the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard.
Nampa’s touchdowns came on a 2-yard run from Daniel Carrillo and a 7-yard run from Ryan Schuler, who totaled 81 and 69 yards on the ground, respectively. Nampa quarterback Gabe Navarro completed 8-of-21 passes for 122 yards, but was hampered by the two picks.
Quarterback Jaxon Grimmett had a hand in three of the Broncos’ four TDs, passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 24 yards and another score. Blackfoot (6-5) will play at Sandpoint (7-2) in the semifinals next week.
Pocatello 28, Bishop Kelly 17
Bishop Kelly’s potent rushing attack met its match in the 4A state quarterfinals.
The Thunder (9-2) held the Knights to 136 yards on the ground, with standout running back Seth Knothe totaling 118 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Knothe’s 5-yard TD with 7:23 left in the second quarter gave BK a 14-0 lead.
Pocatello then proceeded to outscore Bishop Kelly 28-3 the rest of the way to advance to the semifinals, where it will host the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between Vallivue and Skyline.
The Thunder did most of their damage through the air thanks to quarterback Ryan Payne, who completed 11-of-20 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers.
Bishop Kelly (8-3), which committed four turnovers, scored its only other touchdown on a 9-yard pass from quarterback Hadley Smith to receiver Jack Heffner with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Smith threw for 243 yards but also tossed three picks.
Skyline 24, Vallivue 14
The Falcons (6-5) out gained the reigning state champ in yards 251-160. But Vallivue’s underdog run came to an end Saturday in the 4A quarterfinals at Pocatello’s Holt Arena.
Vallivue struck first and took an 8-0 lead on a 33-yard pass from Santi Diaz to Camryn Deane. But back-to-back touchdown throws from Skyline’s (7-4) Lachlan Haacke gave the Grizzlies a 17-8 halftime lead, a lead they never relinquished.
Diaz also ran for 65 yards and a TD, finishing the night with 156 yards and two scores.
Weiser 21, Snake River 0
After back-to-back dominant playoff efforts at home, third-ranked Weiser will hit the road for a semifinal matchup next week against No. 2 Gooding (9-0).
The Wolverines (10-1) earned their fourth shutout of the season and have now outscored their first two playoff opponents (Snake River and Buhl) by a combined 83-20.
Friday’s quarterfinal was a matchup between father and son. Weiser coach Tom Harrison, who has won a record 10 state championships, bested his son, Snake River coach Jeb Harrison, in the first meeting between the two.
No individual statistics were reported for Weiser.
Homedale 35, South Fremont 10
A year after torching the Cougars’ defense in the semifinals, Homedale running back Hayden Kincheloe had a repeat performance in the 3A quarterfinals Saturday.
The reigning 3A All-Idaho Player of the Year ran for 256 yards and four TDs on 24 carries, echoing his 348-yard and four-touchdown performance against the same team a year ago.
South Fremont (5-5) jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. But it was all Kincheloe and the Trojans the rest of the way as he scored on a runs of 4, 5, 15 and 65 yards.
The win earns Homedale a rematch with Sugar-Salem (7-2) in the semifinals. The Diggers beat Homedale in each of the past three state championship games.
Bear Lake 14, Nampa Christian 6
The Bears grounded Nampa Christian’s high-flying offense, holding the Trojans (8-2) to 214 total yards and a season-low six points in the 2A state quarterfinals.
Bear Lake (7-3), which has won five in a row, will face the winner of Saturday’s game between top-ranked West Side and No. 8 Grangeville in the semifinals.
Dane Bradshaw ran for 105 yards on 17 carries to lead Nampa Christian, which had won seven straight entering Friday. Quarterback Landon Cheney ran for 19 yards and the Trojans’ only TD while going 9-for-22 for 75 yards through the air.
North Fremont 44, Melba 38
The Mustangs (7-4) rallied from a 22-point, second-half deficit to cut the lead to six points with 2 minutes left. But No. 2-ranked North Fremont (9-0) recovered the ensuing onside kick to snuff out the rally.
Gabe Shaffer ran for 103 yards and caught a TD pass, Trace Stimpson ran for 79 yards and a pair of second-half TDs, and Dillon Stosich caught and threw a TD for Melba.
But North Fremont ran for 365 yards, including 266 from AJ Hill on just 16 carries, the Post Register reported. The Huskies will host conference rival Firth in the semifinals next week.
Kendrick 48, Horseshoe Bend 8
Horseshoe Bend’s perfect season came to an end in the 1A Division II state quarterfinals.
In a game played at Lewiston’s Bengal Field, Kendrick needed just five plays to score its first touchdown of the game, and the Tigers amassed a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Kendrick (7-2) will host Castleford (9-1) — a 58-8 winner over Rockland — in the semifinals next week.
No individual statistics were reported for Horseshoe Bend (8-1).
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 11:42 PM.
