Worth the hype: Boise football knocks off perennial power Mountain View to stay undefeated
The No. 13 pops up over and over again with the Boise High football team.
The Brave write the number on their pads, on their arms, on their shoes, on any open space of real estate.
It’s not a superstition. The number serves as a reminder of where Boise was picked in the 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll — 13th out of 13 teams. Dead last. Bottom of the barrel.
But no one is counting out the Brave now.
Boise knocked off No. 3-ranked Mountain View 35-21 on Thursday night at Dona Larsen Park, toppling the perennial power for just the second time in program history and extending its undefeated start to the season.
“Everyone was doubting us,” Boise senior wide receiver Cooper Smith said. “So now they better watch out. We’re coming.”
No. 5-ranked Boise (5-0, 3-0 5A SIC River Division) took the lead to start the second half when sophomore quarterback Trevor Schoolfield found Smith over the top for a 33-yard touchdown pass. The Brave never trailed again, morphing from a feel-good Cinderella story into a force to contend with the rest of the season.
Smith finished with 15 offensive touches for 188 total yards and three touchdowns. Schoolfield went 20-for-24 for 281 yards and three TDs through the air. And senior running back Alex Hess delivered the final dagger, busting a 68-yard touchdown run straight up the gut with 4:58 left for the final margin.
“Every year, we’ve been improving,” Hess said. “This is the year that shows we’re serious about football.”
Few outside the Boise locker room believed that to start the season, and they only needed to look at history for proof.
Boise had posted one winning record in the past 30 years. It last made the playoffs in 2002, the longest active drought at the 5A level. Talented players regularly transferred to another school to play football.
But Thursday’s victory confirmed Boise has bucked that history. It changes how the rest of the state views the program, and it keeps the Brave in the driver’s seat for a spot in the 5A SIC conference championship game.
“It’s a program changer,” Boise coach Mike Altieri said. “It’s an opportunity for us to show some people that we’re for real.”
It wasn’t all roses for Boise on Thursday night, though. Mountain View (3-2, 1-2) opened the game with an eight-play, 77-yard touchdown drive where it moved the ball at will. The Mavericks then stuffed a fourth-down attempt at Boise’s 28-yard line, potentially setting the stage for an early blowout.
But Boise’s defense answered the bell, didn’t surrender a first down and forced Boise State commit Martin Connington to attempt a 43-yard field goal. He missed, providing the Brave a lifeline they didn’t squander.
“Everybody’s got a plan until you get punched in the mouth,” Altieri said. “These kids’ plan tonight was to fight back.
“... The kids were never, never shook. They were never deterred. They understood what it was. They believed they could win the whole time.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW LEADERS
Justin McGee carried the Mavericks offensively, finishing 17-for-34 for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Tyler Weaver. He also ran for 97 yards on 17 carries.
Grayson Flatten racked up 16 offensive touches for 146 yards and a touchdown. His 8-yard touchdown run with 6:20 left pulled Mountain View within seven points before Hess put the game away.
Penalties continued to haunt the Mavericks. They were flagged 14 times for 170 yards, even more than the 12 penalties for 154 yards in their loss to Owyhee two weeks ago.
Boise also committed 15 penalties for 118 yards.
UP NEXT
Boise continues the heart of its 5A SIC River Division schedule with a road trip to No. 1-ranked Eagle (4-0, 2-0) next Friday. A victory there would match Boise’s best start since 1988. It would also give Boise its most wins in a single season since 1992.
Mountain View hosts Kuna (3-2, 1-2) next Friday in another River Division game.
This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 11:38 PM.
