One step closer to perfection: Meridian crushes Mountain View for spot in 5A state finals
A week after needing to scratch out a playoff victory, the Meridian High football team left no doubt Friday.
Meridian routed Mountain View 34-10 in the 5A state semifinals, returning to its regular-season dominance and sending the top-ranked Warriors to the 5A state championship for the first time since 2007.
Meridian (11-0) will face Rigby (10-2) next weekend on the blue turf at Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium. A time and date have not been set yet.
“It doesn’t matter who we play right now,” Meridian junior running back Rylie Byington said. “We’re rolling. We can take on anybody.”
Meridian dictated every phase of the game against its crosstown rival Friday night. Offensively, it ran for 316 of its 439 total yards. The Warriors ate up 35 minutes, 10 seconds of the game clock. And they didn’t punt once.
Defensively, Mountain View could muster only a first-quarter field goal, a defensive touchdown against the Warriors’ backups and 144 total yards. The Mavericks gained 76 of those 144 yards in the first quarter.
“They’re just a physical team,” Mountain View (7-5) coach Brian Compton said. “They have the guys to do what they’re doing offensively. They can get off the ball. They can down-block. They’ve got size. They’ve got multiple backs that are really good.”
The Warriors showcased that physicality, running their Wing-T offense to perfection. All five of their touchdown drives lasted 10 or more plays. All covered 65 yards or more. And all burned at least four and half minutes off the clock.
Byington led the way, running for 126 yards and three TDs. But Marco Del Rio added 100 yards and a touchdown, and Luke St. Michell ran for 58 yards and a score as Meridian pounded the Mavericks’ defensive front.
“Our O-line was amazing,” Byington said. “Last week, they did amazing. This week, they did the exact same thing. I’m so impressed with our O-line this week.”
The victory continues the comeback story for Meridian. The Warriors went 14 years without winning a playoff game until last season. Now the long-struggling program will play for its first state championship in 15 years — with a chance to finish the year undefeated.
“Ever since we got here, everybody didn’t think of us as the big dogs,” Meridian senior linebacker Max Gwilliam said. “We haven’t got the respect we wanted, and I think we’ve played with a chip on our shoulders for four years now.
“We’re ready to go.”
CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH
The win also sets up a rematch with defending state champ Rigby, which topped Meridian in triple overtime in the semifinals last season. Meridian scored on every drive but its final one, in the third overtime, to fall 55-49.
Rigby rallied to beat Rocky Mountain 34-27 on Friday night, sending the Trojans to the state championship for the fourth straight year. So the 5A championship will feature a group of players who have never missed the state finals vs. a group that’s never played in one.
“We’ve been motivated all season,” Gwilliam said. “It would be awesome if we could play Rigby again and get revenge on them.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW ENDS UNDERDOG RUN
The Mavericks started the season 0-2 and finished the regular season with four losses before winning back-to-back road playoffs games to make the semifinals. But they ran out of magic Friday.
Injuries continued to plague Mountain View. Freshman running back Valentin Gomez-Ricks broke his arm in practice this week, marking the sixth season-ending injury to a starting skill position player for the Mavericks. He ran for 168 yards and a game-winning touchdown in the final minute in his starting debut last week.
“I’ve just never seen anything like it,” Compton said. “... For our guys to hang in there and make this postseason run when a lot of people were counting us out, it’s just a testament to their character and their belief — and our depth.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 11:45 PM.
