Capital used to own this football rivalry. Now Borah has turned the tables
From 2001 to 2014, the Borah High football team lost 14 straight times to crosstown rival Capital.
My, how the tables have turned.
The Lions shut out Capital 21-0 in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference opener for both teams Friday night at Dona Larsen Park, topping their rival for the fourth time in the past five games.
“We wanted to say, ‘Hey, this rivalry goes through us now,’” Borah coach JQ Kenyon said. “They’re trying to set a new precedent over there with a new coach, and we thought that was an opportunity to grab this. This is our rivalry now, and you’ve gotta come take it from us.”
The Idaho Statesman’s historical archives of the Borah-Capital rivalry date back to 1988. In the previous 38 meetings, the Lions had not held the Eagles scoreless. The closest Borah had come until Friday night came in a 6-0 loss to Capital in 2003.
“I think to set a new tone means a lot to Borah and Borah history and the Borah program,” Borah senior quarterback Korbin McCarney said. “I like our odds now.”
After two fruitless drives to open the game, McCarney got the Lions’ offense rolling with an 80-yard touchdown drive in a little more than 2 minutes. Senior Henry Hill, who primarily stars at linebacker, caught his only pass of the night on a 41-yard toss from McCarney that got the Lions down to the Eagles’ 37-yard line.
Senior running back Parker Rushton then broke into the red zone with a 22-yard carry, setting up the Lions’ first touchdown of the night two plays later. McCarney hit senior receiver Trace Freeman with a 10-yard TD pass with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
“We were preaching that conditioning and physicality were going to be the difference in a zero week game,” Kenyon said. “Essentially, throw skill sets out the window. We just had to be more physical and more conditioned, and I think we showed that.”
Freeman finished with seven receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns, beating the defense downfield for a 50-yard TD bomb from McCarney in the third quarter. McCarney connected on 14-of-21 pass attempts for 209 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
“That’s beautiful football right there,” Freeman said. “It was an amazing feeling just seeing the ball in the air coming right to my hands. It was an amazing feeling, especially the crowd. The environment tonight was amazing.”
Rushton also eclipsed the century mark, carrying the ball 17 times for 103 yards. He caught three passes for 19 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown reception to send Borah into halftime leading 14-0.
The Lions’ defense held the Eagles to 190 total yards, including two red-zone trips that ended with missed field goals. Senior running back Tucker French paced Capital with eight carries for 45 yards, while quarterback Joren Peterson was 6-for-9 passing for 51 yards and another 66 yards on 14 carries.
“I mean, to see my defense get the shutout is a pretty big accomplishment,” McCarney said. “I know even one touchdown would have beat them when there’s a zero up on the board.”
This story was originally published August 19, 2022 at 11:55 PM.
