Rocky Mountain faced a physical fight. The Grizzlies responded with another blowout win
Rocky Mountain’s high-powered offense often grabs the headlines. The Grizzlies’ defense stole the show Friday.
No. 1-ranked Rocky Mountain crushed Kuna 35-7 in the 6A state quarterfinals, holding the Kavemen to a single first down and 38 total yards before turning to its backups late in the third quarter.
“I think we’re the best (defense) in the state,” Rocky Mountain junior defensive tackle Rowan Rupp said. “And I feel like we’re going to prove it next week, too.”
The numbers back Rupp up. The Grizzlies (10-0) hold the state’s top offense (46 points per game), but they also fielded the 6A classification’s best defense (10 ppg) entering the quarterfinals. Those defensive numbers will only improve after another dominant performance.
Kuna’s old-school, run-heavy offense works best when it ties opponents up in a phone booth and invites them in for a fight. Rocky Mountain answered the bell, though, and manhandled the Kavemen, leaving them little room to operate and few options to throw with starting quarterback Lino Senio out with a concussion.
Kuna dialed up trick plays, shifted formations and tried different hands at running back. None of it worked as the Kavemen ran into an impenetrable wall and Rocky Mountain forced three turnovers, including a fumble Trey Broadbent returned 41 yards for a touchdown.
“We like that challenge. We like being physical,” said Rocky Mountain linebacker Isaiah Reed, a Nevada commit. “We know that if they’re going to be physical, we’re going to be more physical.
“You’re not going to outwork us. You are not going to outplay us, because we are the most hard-working team in the state.”
Kuna finished with 126 yards of offense and six first downs. But 88 of those yards and five of those first downs came after Rocky Mountain built a 35-0 lead with 3:50 left in the third quarter and both teams started rotating in their backups.
THOMPSON CARRIES ROCKY MOUNTAIN’S OFFENSE
Rocky Mountain lists Jeff Thompson as a wide receiver on its roster. But the senior did so much more Friday, racking up 164 total yards and three touchdowns on 15 offensive touches.
He opened the scoring with a 62-yard catch from Austin Rovig on the Grizzlies’ second drive. Rocky Mountain then spent much of the evening sending him in motion looking for mismatches, even moving him into the backfield.
The speedster actually did most of his damage with direct handoffs, running for touchdowns of 7 and 9 yards. He ran for 95 yards on 13 carries as he and Rocky Mountain left Kuna guessing.
Rocky Mountain coach Scott Criner said there’s little Thompson can’t do.
“He tells me he can throw the ball, but I tell him no,” Criner said with a laugh. “But we’re going to find every way we can to get the ball in his hands.”
REMATCH WITH RIGBY
Friday’s victory ensured that top-ranked Rocky Mountain will host second-ranked Rigby (9-1) in the semifinals next week.
The Trojans upset Rocky Mountain on its home field two years ago in the semifinals. Many of the Grizzlies’ seniors were sophomores on that team, providing them a chance for redemption next week.
Rigby lost its season opener at Coeur d’Alene but has won nine in a row since, including a 52-21 victory Friday over Post Falls.
“Those guys think that they can travel anywhere and beat anybody,” Criner said. “Hell, SI Sports, they have them ranked No. 1 in the state ahead of us.
“I told our kids, ‘This is it.’”
KUNA’S BEST SEASON IN TOP DIVISION
The Kavemen started the year picked to finish last in the 6A SIC River Division and 10th out of 12 teams in the 6A SIC. But Kuna exceeded all expectations, advancing to playoffs and scoring the program’s first playoff win in Idaho’s top classification last week.
A one-dimensional offense without Senio stood little chance against Rocky Mountain. But first-year coach Beau Smith said Kuna proved it’s no longer an automatic win on opponents’ schedules.
“I think we showed that we’re not just some sign that you see on a road that you’re never going to make a trip to,” Smith said. “We’re going to establish an identity of who we are, and that’s going to take some time.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
