Published: 11/20/2015 5:10:59 PM

Revenge.

You have to imagine that this might be on the mind of the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies. After all, this year's 5A Milk Bowl state championship is a rematch of a Sept. 3 early season matchup - one that saw Mountain View destroy Rocky Mountain 44-20.

That ball game was over by halftime courtesy of turnovers by the Grizzlies offense and quick scoring strikes by the Mavericks. It was 37-0 at halftime and no matter what Rocky Mountain did, they just couldn't overcome that big of a deficit. That loss has burned deep into Rocky Mountain's memory, hoping that they might get a shot at Mountain view.

Well, as luck would have it, they get their second chance on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium.

Ever since their 24-point loss to Mountain View, Rocky Mountain has been on an absolute tear, winning nine straight games en route to a 10-1 overall record and the top seed from West Pod A. And the way they've handled their business since that loss has to impress - outside of last week's victory over Highland and Rocky's 32-23 win over Eagle, the Grizzlies have won each of their games by at least 21 points. They've ran left, ran right, and ran through most opposing defenses. And, if you're going to be at the game on Saturday or watching online, I would fully expect another healthy dose of the ground game, led by Jake Roper and Christian Blaser.

I would also expect that this matchup will be a lot closer than last time. Rocky Mountain has worked on their fumbling issues (the primary cause of their turnovers on Sept. 3) and they have really worked on their presence in the defensive secondary. Last week, they made things miserable for Highland's passing offense - and the defense as a whole held the Rams' offense to zero points overall. That certainly has to be a confidence booster heading into the biggest football game in school history.

The question becomes: what adjustments does Rocky Mountain make in this go-around with Mountain View? 

The Mavericks have been the undisputed number one team in the state football polls since their demolition of then-No. 1 Rocky Mountain on Sept. 3. And the narrative has been much the same as the Grizzlies' - absolute domination of their schedule. Prior to last week's state semifinal at Holt Arena vs. Madison, no one had come within 24 points of the Mavericks all season long. They have steamrolled their opponents with what is probably the fastest no-huddle offense in all of Idaho. Watching it in person last week was like watching a video while on fast forward. Its speed shocked the Madison Bobcats early on and it had certainly shocked all of the Mavs opponents this year.

In last week's semifinal, Mountain view received their toughest challenge to date against Madison. After initially being stymied by the speed of the Mavs offense, Madison slowed the game down, sustained drives, and kept the Mountain View defense on the field for long stretches. The Bobcats did what they could against Mountain View, only to suffer the same fate as all of the Mavericks' opponents before them. It was a fantastic game with incredible energy at Holt Arena, but Mountain View prevailed, marking the first time in 17 tries that a team from the 5A SIC won a playoff game on the road.

Now, as a result, Mountain View has an opportunity to take the next step in front of their home fans on Saturday on the blue turf at Albertsons Stadium.

The Mavericks will lean on the duo that has carried them to this point: QB Tucker Rovig and RB Trey Bell. The two combined account for a large chunk of the Mountain View offense to date this year and that probably won't change on Saturday. The question, however, is how much offense will Mountain View get against a Rocky Mountain team hungry for revenge? 

This is the first all-SIC state championship game since 2009, when Eagle beat Capital 22-21 for the title. Will this game be as close? Potentially. I don't believe it's going to be a 44-20 blowout like we saw in Week 2. 

Outside of the obvious statement of there being 'a lot on the line', this could be a program building moment for both sides. Neither of these schools have ever won a state football title. Granted, neither of these schools have a rich history of football success - they've only been around for a handful of years. Mountain View (opened in 2003) and Rocky Mountain (opened in 2008) and up until last year with the Mavericks state finals appearance, neither school had even made it to the state championship game.

That all changed this season. And, of course, one of these schools will bring home their first ever state championship once all is said and done at Albertsons Stadium on Saturday. 

Will Mountain View run the table and cap a perfect season with a state title? Or will Rocky Mountain get their revenge in the ultimate grudge match and secure their first title?

We hope you can join us in person at Albertsons Stadium in Boise on Saturday for all of the action. Administrators are estimating anywhere from 10,000-15,000 fans to be in attendance for this all-District 3 matchup. If you can't attend in person, however, that's where we come in at IdahoSports.com. You can watch this game LIVE and for FREE on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop right here on IdahoSports.com. Much thanks to the United Dairymen of Idaho and the Idaho High School Activities Association for their sponsorships with us and helping us to keep these online broadcasts free to the public.