‘It was a wake-up call.’ How a loss fueled Rocky Mountain’s dominant playoff win
It wasn’t a pretty sight that Saturday morning at Rocky Mountain two weeks ago.
The former top-ranked team in the state was reeling after an upset loss to Timberline. The defeat cost Rocky Mountain a playoff bye, placed the Grizzlies on a tough postseason road and forced the perennial power to take a long look in the mirror.
But Rocky Mountain has since bounced back with back-to-back blowout victories, including a 38-8 beatdown of Owyhee on Friday to open the 6A state playoffs.
“It was a wake-up call,” Rocky Mountain senior defensive end Rowan Rupp said. “We’re not that team. We’re not invincible. We’ve always got to come out with energy. And I feel like that’s what we did tonight.”
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The Grizzlies (9-1) dominated from the opening kickoff to the final whistle Friday, running the ball at will and stifling the Owyhee (5-5) offense to advance to the quarterfinals in the state’s top classification for the 14th straight season.
Rocky Mountain racked up 435 yards of offense, including 320 rushing yards while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Owyhee could only muster 190 total yards and didn’t get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter with the game already well out of reach.
Rupp provided the early momentum swing for the Grizzlies. A penalty wiped out a touchdown on Rocky Mountain’s opening drive, forcing the Grizzlies to settle for Sawyer McLinden’s 33-yard field goal. But Owyhee punter Christian Zannitto bobbled the snap on the ensuing drive, and a charging DeAndre Mikell knocked the ball loose.
Rupp, a Boise State commit, pounced on the loose ball at Owyhee’s 40-yard line. Three plays later, Rocky Mountain running back Oakley Baxter broke free for a 14-yard touchdown run, and the rout was on.
Baxter admitted the Grizzlies were cocky two weeks ago when they boarded the bus to face Timberline. But he said the loss lit a fire under Rocky Mountain.
“We started December 2. We are 333 days in,” Rocky Mountain coach Scott Criner said. “And for 333 days, we’ve been working toward a goal. And that goal isn’t to be done yet.”
Rocky Mountain finished the night scoring on all six offensive possessions, including touchdowns on their final five drives. Baxter led the onslaught, turning 10 carries into 108 yards and two touchdowns. Rasean Jones added 91 total yards and two TDs on six offensive touches, and quarterback Kaelan Custer added 156 total yards.
The victory sends Rocky Mountain on a short road trip to rival Eagle (8-1) next week in the quarterfinals. The Mustangs received a first-round bye by winning the 6A SIC River Division.
That Timberline loss two weeks ago put Rocky Mountain on the arguably tougher side of the playoff bracket. The Grizzlies will need to beat Eagle and likely Rigby in the semifinals just to make it back to the state championship game. But Baxter didn’t bat an eye at the upcoming path.
“Honestly, it’s better,” he said. “At least for me personally, I’d rather go against the good teams like Eagle and Rigby. I’d rather get through them to go to the championship. We’ve definitely got something in store for them.”
OWYHEE ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS
The Storm started the year 5-0. But after Friday’s loss, Owyhee ended its once-promising season on a five-game losing streak.
Logan Haustveit finished 7-for-15 for 49 yards and led the Storm with 54 rushing yards. Ryan Brekke added 49 rushing yards and scored Owyhee’s only touchdown with a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter. And Asher Gaudet ran for 37 yards as Owyhee found little running room against Rocky Mountain’s defense.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 11:33 PM.
