Prep football recap: Idaho goes 4-0 at NW Showdown. Borah completes wild comeback
Even mistakes couldn’t slow the Rocky Mountain football team on Friday night.
Junior quarterback Kaelan Custer bobbled the snap on the Grizzlies’ second drive, but still scampered 12 yards for a touchdown, part of the onslaught as the Grizzlies took down Provo (Utah) 49-14 in the Northwest Showdown at Rocky Mountain High School.
“We’ve got a lot of weapons on our offense, using our running back to our advantage, and our O-line,” Custer said. “I mean, definitely running the ball’s our identity right now, but that all just sets up the pass game, and we’ve got great receivers.”
Rocky Mountain (2-0) scored 28 points in the first half, finding the end zone on its first three drives and getting a pick-six from senior defensive back Muyolo David in the second quarter.
Despite playing only a portion of the game because of the Grizzlies’ big lead, Custer finished 7-for-11 for 76 yards and ran for 148 yards and two TDs on eight carries.
Custer broke through the Bulldogs’ (1-3) defensive line and sprinted down the left sideline for an 80-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
Junior running back Oakely Baxter scored the second of his 1-yard touchdown runs with time winding down in the third, and sophomore Easton Young polished off the Grizzlies’ night with a 1-yard score in the fourth.
Baxter totaled 83 yards and two TDs on 14 carries, and sophomore Owen Oelkers turned his only touch into a 60-yard touchdown as the Grizzlies racked up 454 total yards, including 332 on the ground.
“Every kid played, so that’s a lot of fun,” Rocky Mountain coach Scott Criner said. “The second half we came out and kind of lost our focus a little bit, and then we got it back.
“We’ve got the ability to be good. We just have to keep working our process.”
Jack-of-all trades Rasean Jones — a Boise State commit — added an interception, one tackle, two carries for 26 yards and three receptions for 35 yards for the Grizzlies. He also returned one kick for 29 yards.
Junior defensive end Luke Abernathey tallied a strip-sack for Rocky in the fourth quarter that was recovered by junior defensive tackle Ezekiel Tuinei. Junior linebacker Drake Petersen paced the defense with six tackles, and senior defensive end Rowan Rupp and senior linebacker Owen Weatherly contributed one sack apiece.
“We’re focusing a lot on the culture here,” Custer said. “We’ve been in the weight room every day since December 2. We’ve got a good family here at Rocky, and we’re just depending on each other. It’s not one person that’s gonna go win a game.”
EAGLE 34, SKYVIEW (WASH.) 13
The Mustangs (2-0) took it on the chin in last year’s Northwest Showdown, absorbing their worst loss in 19 years to eventual Oregon 6A state champ West Linn. But they scored some redemption Friday.
The Mustangs scored 27 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters, riding a momentum swing to score a marquee win on the regional stage.
“There were four games last year, and all Idaho teams besides us won it. So we took that a little personally,” Eagle coach James Cluphf said of the regional showcase.
“West Linn was an incredible team. They went on to win a state championship, handily. Being able to come back this year and represent our state the right way — we feel like we’re a premier program in the state, and that’s how we should represent things.”
Eagle’s Luke Mikita provided the initial spark, blocking a Skyview (0-1) punt in the end zone with 8:01 left in the third quarter. Anthony Butler recovered the loose ball for a touchdown, and the Mustangs were off to the races.
Noah Burnham broke a 59-yard touchdown run, Zayah Wright turned a shallow drag into a 68-yard touchdown catch, and Eagle quarterback Austin Ramsey capped the scoring with a 9-yard throw off his back foot to Cooper Murphy.
Ramsey finished 15-for-24 for 187 yards and three TDs, and Burnham ran for 140 yards on 14 carries as the Mustangs racked up 361 yards of offense. The Mustangs’ defense was perhaps even more impressive, though, holding last year’s state quarterfinalist in Washington’s top classification to 114 yards, including 49 yards on 41 plays before the Storm scored a garbage-time touchdown.
“Defensively, we have a list of things,” Mikita said. “First, it’s stop the run. After that, I think everything just falls into place.”
TIMBERLINE 43, NELSON (ORE.) 15
The Hawks from the Portland area may have heard tales of Hudson Lewis. But they left the Treasure Valley a firm believer in the Washington State commit’s legend.
Lewis torched the No. 7-ranked team in Oregon’s top classification, hauling in seven catches for 193 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Wolves (2-0) to their second straight blowout victory.
The reigning 6A 100-meter state champ spent much of the night either blowing past defenders or turning short catches into highlight-reel touchdowns with a single move. He scored on catches of 53, 47, 30 and 5 yards. The shortest one was perhaps the most impressive as he made a back-shoulder, diving catch while keeping one knee in bounds.
“The hard part is you play a team from out of state, where they don’t really know who he is,” Timberline coach Ian Smart said. “And so you may not believe he’s that good. He’s a kid from Idaho.
“So you watch the film, and see that every team that we play puts two to three guys out there, and you may not believe that.
“I’m sure that they’ll believe it at this point.”
Lewis led a rout that saw Timberline rack up 434 yards of offense, including 331 in the first half. But he wasn’t alone as Lucas Thompson made his own highlight-reel grab with a 31-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
The duo helped quarterback Jack Brant post another prolific night. The UC Davis commit went 15-for-23 for 308 yards and six touchdowns. That gives him 11 touchdown passes through just two weeks.
“Jack threw some tremendous footballs,” Smart said. “Some of those balls underneath the safety and over the corner ... those are big-league throws. That’s next-level football.”
BOISE 49, LAGUNA CREEK (CALIF.) 7
Senior quarterback Trevor Schoolfield had a hand in five touchdowns as the Brave mercy-ruled the Cardinals from Elk Grove, California.
Schoolfield completed 14-of-23 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns and also racked up 87 yards and another score on four carries. He scored on a 63-yard run on Boise’s opening drive, helping the Brave to a 28-7 lead at the half.
Junior running back Logan McDonald added 83 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while also hauling in three passes for 38 yards and two more scores.
Senior receiver Eli Rich and junior receiver Cale Heikkinen also caught TD passes for the Brave.
Sophomore defensive back Max Walters had a first-quarter interception, and junior defensive back Colton Bureau returned an interception 80 yards for a score with 49 seconds left in the third to force a running clock for the final quarter.
OWYHEE 28, CAPITAL 20
The Eagles mounted a final comeback attempt, reaching the 7-yard line with 42 seconds left. But Owyhee intercepted Brayden Dudley’s desperation fourth-down heave in the end zone to hang on for the victory.
The goal-line stand preserved a prolific night for Owyhee running back Asher Gaudet, who scored all four of the Storm’s touchdowns. He ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns, including what proved to be the game-winner on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Gaudet also caught four passes for 42 yards and another score, and Owyhee quarterback Colin Foy finished 12-for-13 for 141 yards.
Capital scored touchdowns on its first three offensive possessions but never scored again. Dudley completed 14-of-25 passes for 219 yards. Quincy Clay turned four catches into 109 yards. And Michael Thorpe ran for 75 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
BORAH 21, VALLIVUE 20 (OT)
Borah forced overtime on a 31-yard flea-flicker from quarterback Dayton Wolverton to Ian Houck as time expired in regulation.
The Lions scored first in overtime and held on for the win when Vallivue failed on its two-point conversion attempt in the extra frame.
Wolverton finished 16-for-32 through the air for 158 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. The Lions won despite totaling just 37 yards on the ground.
Sawyer Poole led the charge for the Falcons, racking up 191 yards and three TDs on 31 carries.
MADISON 9, MIDDLETON 7
The Bobcats edged the Vikings on a 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Middleton scored its only touchdown on a 70-yard punt return by Kade Hibbard in the third quarter.
Quarterback Briar Baughman went 17-for-25 passing for 128 yards for the Vikings, but was hampered by a pair of interceptions. Jackson Cordero led the Middleton on the ground with 86 yards on 17 carries.
Madison scored all its points on field goals but limited the Vikings to 145 total yards.
BISHOP KELLY 62, MINICO 14
Ben Avella completed 16-of-22 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers as the No. 2-ranked Knights avenged a triple-overtime playoff loss last year to No. 5-ranked Minico.
Bishop Kelly piled up 551 yards of offense to trigger the running-clock mercy rule for the second straight week. Dom Wolthuis turned six catches into 113 yards and a touchdown. Jaxon Brady caught nine passes for 81 yards and a score. And Ryan Arellano ran for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Logan Wayment ran for both scores for Minico (2-1), and he also went 9-for-12 for 71 yards through the air.
COLUMBIA 49, CALDWELL 0
The Wildcats earned a shutout against the Cougars to improve to 2-0.
Senior running back Jackson Cheslak led the way for Columbia, amassing 91 yards and four touchdowns on nine carries — an average of 10.1 yards per touch.
Stats were not reported for Caldwell.
FRUITLAND 50, NEW PLYMOUTH 7
The Grizzlies racked up 569 total yards of offense in a rout of the Pilgrims.
Quarterback Titus Vidlak accounted for 462 of those yards, completing 23-of-31 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 105 yards and a TD on eight carries.
Killian Wilson and Cooper Owens also scored rushing touchdowns for Fruitland. Joel Philpot was Vidlak’s top target, hauling in five receptions for 99 yards and two scores, while Sutton Fitch and Logan Vaughn each had a receiving TD.
Stats were not reported for New Plymouth.
HOMEDALE 48, GOODING 21
The No. 3-ranked Trojans scored touchdowns on seven of their eight offensive possessions and put up 425 yards to cruise to a nonconference road victory.
Homedale (2-0) quarterback Xavier Uranga went 14-for-23 for 190 and five touchdowns to five different receivers. Kade Hall ran for 108 yards and one score, and Javid Blewett added 107 more rushing yards as the Trojans tallied 28 first downs.
Quarterback Cougar Stockham led the Senators (1-1) with a 15-for-24 night that included 234 yards.
LAKELAND 24, WEISER 9
The Hawks (3-0) held Weiser to 165 total yards and a single touchdown to pick up a nonconference road win.
Lakeland’s Jaron Yager hauled in six catches for 63 yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Peyton Hillman finished 15-for-21 for 166 yards.
Quarterback Klete Cook scored the only touchdown for the Wolverines (0-2) on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 14-9. But it was all Lakeland the rest of the way.
NAMPA CHRISTIAN 34, MCCALL-DONNELLY 20
Knotted at 14 early in the third quarter, the Trojans (1-1) scored 20 of the next 26 points to pull away for a nonconference home win.
Nampa Christian’s Ian Johnson ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and Dylan O’Brian turned eight catches into 106 yards and two more scores.
Colt Value led McCall-Donnelly (1-1) with 85 yards and a TD on 16 carries.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
