ORDER GAME PHOTOS

CLASS 5A

(E1) Highland 28, (W5) Owyhee 10

Highland (9-1) raced out to a 14-0 lead in the opening half of action, thanks to touchdown runs from Drew Hymas (one yard) and Jackson Riddle (75 yards).  Owyhee (8-3) answered with a 42-yard touchdown run from quarterback Matt Irwin and a 32-yard field goal from Nathan Gamette to bring the Storm to within 14-10 at halftime.  But Highland’s defense pitched a second-half shutout and found more breathing room with a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Zerek Younis and a one-yard run from Riddle.

(W1B) Meridian 24, (W7) Mountain View 23

Mountain View (7-4) held a 17-16 lead after three quarters of play, but Meridian (7-3) struck on its opening possession of the fourth quarter, as quarterback Zeke Martinez scored on a three-yard touchdown run to put the Warriors ahead 22-17.  Meridian didn’t know it at the time, but the Warriors’ decision to go for the two-point conversion would prove to be important, as Martinez ran in the two-point try to put Meridian ahead by seven points at 24-17.  The Mavericks would respond, as Henry Davis hit Tyler Weaver for a ten-yard score.  An extra point would have tied the game up, but the kick missed, and Mountain View trailed by one, 24-23.  The Warriors ran out the final three minutes of regulation, and escaped with the one-point victory.  Martinez completed 21-of-25 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns (one to Cole Jones, one to Griffin Deere).  Davido Okito also nailed a 26-yard field goal for the Warriors.

(W1A) Eagle 17, (E2) Rigby 14

The Mustangs (10-0) led 10-0 at halftime, thanks to a 58-yard touchdown pass from Davis Harsin to Makeo Sneddon and a 27-yard field goal from Lucas Bookholdt.  But Rigby (6-5) caught fire in the third period, as Luke Flowers threw touchdown passes of two yards to Koen Peck and 14 yards to Kade Steffler.  Trailing 14-10 in the fourth quarter, Eagle, like so many times this season, rallied late to earn the nail-biting win.  Noah Burnham scored from a yard out with 4:47 to play to give the Mustangs a 17-14 lead.  Then the defense sealed the win with an interception of Flowers on the ensuing drive.

(N1) Coeur d’Alene 24, (W3) Rocky Mountain 8

Coeur d’Alene (8-2) earned revenge after falling to Rocky Mountain (7-4) 16-0 in the regular season.  Owen Harris carried the ball 38 times for 158 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Caden Symons completed 20-of-25 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.  Eight different receivers caught a pass for the Vikings, including Jamison Kizziar and Joe Hagel, who each caught a TD.  Kizziar also came up with an interception on defense, and Jaysen Cady nailed a 35-yard field goal to round out the scoring.  The Grizzlies scored on an 11-yard run by Collin Chapman.


CLASS 4A

(#1) Hillcrest 50, (#8) Skyview 14

Hillcrest (11-0) remained unbeaten with a breezy win over the Hawks in the quarterfinal round.  Peyton King completed 7-of-16 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown to Sheldon Nelson, while adding 108 yards and a touchdown rushing.  Trason Keller (113 yards, 2 TDs), Braxton Battleson (80 yards, 1 TD), Titan Larson (39 yards, 1 TD), and Brody Doming (25 yards, 1 TD) also turned in strong efforts on the ground.  Skyview (7-4) was paced by Cache Beus, who threw for 208 yards and a touchdown, and also ran in a score on the ground.

(#5) Skyline 44, (#4) Twin Falls 20

Skyline (8-3) went on the road and picked up a quarterfinal victory over Twin Falls (9-2).  CarMyne Garcia threw for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and added 112 yards and a touchdown rushing.  Amani Morel led the ground game with 155 yards and four touchdowns.

(#2) Bishop Kelly 28, (#10) Emmett 7

Bishop Kelly (11-0) defeated its district rival for the second time this season on their way to the semifinals.  Peter Minnaert rushed for two touchdowns, while Crew Nelson also found the end zone on the ground.  Ben Avella also threw a touchdown to Cooper Camman for BK’s first score of the night.  Isaac Brennan rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown for Emmett (7-4).

(#3) Pocatello 44, (#6) Sandpoint 23

Pocatello (7-2) piled up the points, as Dre Contreras threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns (two to Ty Wilkinson, one to Julian Bowie).  Ryken EchoHawk added 129 yards rushing and a score, and Garret Keller booted two field goals for the Thunder, as well.


CLASS 3A

(#1) Sugar-Salem 48, (#8) Timberlake 21

The Diggers (9-0) put the game out of reach early, taking leads of 20-7 after one quarter and 34-7 at halftime.  Quarterback James Chase completed 15-of-18 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, while Sugar-Salem churned out 207 yards as a team on the ground.  Carson Harris ran for 58 yards and two touchdowns, while Tate Cutler added 23 yards and a pair of scores.  Josiah Bosco led the receivers with five grabs for 77 yards and a score, while Dawson McInelly and Cach Harris also caught TDs.  McInelly also shined on the defensive side of the ball with a sack and an interception, while Harris also picked off a pass.  Timberlake (6-5) was led by Cooper Lenz, who returned an interception for a touchdown, rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown, and caught seven passes for 99 yards.  Caius Tebbe added 29 yards and a score on the ground.

(#5) Weiser 35, (#4) Kimberly 32

We’ll fast forward to the start of the fourth quarter, which saw Weiser (10-1) holding onto a slim 28-25 lead over Kimberly (10-1).  Kaleb Grove scored a touchdown from five yards out to give Weiser a little breathing room at 35-25 with 11 minutes to play.  But Kimberly answered on their next drive, as Kade Larson threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to cut the gap to 35-32 with nine minutes remaining.  The Wolverines then went on a long, time-consuming drive that took them all the way to Kimberly’s seven-yard line with just over two minutes to play.  The Bulldogs stopped Weiser on fourth down, and proceeded to drive to Weiser’s 15-yard line with less than ten seconds to play.  Kimberly’s Bryan Rodriguez attempted a 34-yard field goal as time expired that would have tied the game, but Weiser blocked the kick to send the Wolverines on to the semis.  Kaleb Grove rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns for Weiser, while Jayden Walker added 155 yards and a score.  Kolin Cook completed 3-of-6 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown to Brock Spencer.  Spencer also took a kickoff back 70 yards for a TD.

(#2) Homedale 28, (#7) Snake River 0

Homedale (10-0) pitched a tidy shutout over Snake River (6-5) to advance to the semifinals once again.  Dillon Fine was 7-of-12 passing for 117 yards and a touchdown to Luke Henry, and added 90 yards on just five carries with a touchdown.  Andrew Marston chipped in with over 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

(#3) Teton 41, (#6) Buhl 28

Teton (9-1) owned the first half over Buhl (7-4), building up a 29-7 halftime lead that was too large for the Indians to come back on.  Jack Nelson threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while adding 79 rushing yards.  Jack Joyce led the ground attack with 27 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown, while Thomas Heuseveldt chipped in with 26 yards and two TDs.  Heuseveld also caught 14 passes for 130 yards and a score, while Ty Brown added 110 yards and a TD on eight receptions.  Brig Ashton also caught a four-yard score on a touchdown pass from Heuseveldt.


CLASS 2A

(#1) Declo 37, (#8) Grangeville 14

Declo (10-0) held a slim 15-8 lead in the third quarter of play before running away from Grangeville (4-4) late.  Among the highlights for the Hornets were touchdown runs by Max Snedaker and Will Garrard to key the late surge offensively.

(#5) Melba 37, (#4) Nampa Christian 21

After falling to the Trojans in the regular season finale, Melba (8-2) exacted revenge on Friday night in the quarterfinals.  After a tight 7-7 battle at the end of the first quarter, Melba outscored Nampa Christian 17-6 over the middle two periods to assume command of the game.  Rylan Frank rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Brendan Svetich added 97 yards.  Chade Franklin (50 yards) and Isaac Arrington (30 yards) each ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to ice the game, and Cutter Beus threw two touchdown passes to Noah West-Baranco.  Nate Wellington also kicked a 33-yard field goal for the Mustangs.  Kory Magdaleno led the defense with nine tackles, while West-Baranco had eight stops.  For Nampa Christian (6-3), quarterback Aiden Thompson threw for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also ran for a 20-yard score.

(#2) North Fremont 54, (#7) Bear Lake 6

North Fremont (8-1) put the clamps on defensively, forcing four turnovers against the Bear Lake (5-5) offense and knocking the defending 2A champions out of the 2A state playoffs.  Jacob Hill found the end zone three times for the Huskies, while Karson Bohn caught a touchdown pass.  Andrew Martin rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown as well.

(#3) West Side 34, (#6) Aberdeen 8

West Side (7-2) led 27-0 at halftime, and showed incredible balance on offense in the victory.  Parker Moser rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns for the Pirates, while Crew Sage added 62 rushing yards and a score.  Eli Brown completed 4-of-6 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown to Lincoln Henderson, and Brown ran for a short TD, as well.  Aberdeen (6-4) scored on an eight-yard run from Hiatt Beck.


CLASS 1AD1

(#1) Oakley 70, (#8) Notus 6

Oakley (8-1) flexed its muscles yet again, as Bry Severe ran for an 85-yard touchdown on the Hornets’ first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for another dominant win.  Severe scored three rushing touchdowns, while Kyler Robinson threw four touchdown passes.  Isaac Cranney caught a pair of scores, while Kooper Beck and Briggs Matthews also hauled in touchdown passes.  Bridger Duncan scored on a reverse, and returned the opening kickoff of the second half back for a score.  Notus (5-3) scored on an interception return for a touchdown by Adrian Avila just before halftime.

(#5) Grace 20, (#4) Kamiah 0

For the second year in a row, Grace (7-3) eliminated Kamiah (8-2) from the playoffs, scoring all twenty points in the first half and pitching a shutout for the entire contest.  Braden Kimbell rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns for Grace in the win, while Wyatt Cutler added 86 yards.  Gavin Draper completed 10-of-14 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown to Brennon Sorenson, who finished with two grabs for 61 yards.  Kimbell also caught four balls for 73 yards.  Kamiah quarterback David Kludt threw for 91 yards and ran for 53 yards.

(#2) Butte County 52, (#7) Valley 20

Butte County (9-1) stuck to the ground game in a quarterfinal victory over Valley (6-5).  Brody Westergard ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a 16-yard scoring strike from Keaton Archibald.  Archibald added 154 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.  Braxton Gamett led the defense with 15 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

(#3) Logos 60, (#6) Murtaugh 26

Logos (8-0) won its first playoff game in school history behind an all-time effort by senior quarterback Jack Driskill.  Driskill completed 23-of-34 passes for 530 yards and seven touchdowns, and also ran for 107 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Knights.  Ryan Daniels caught six passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, and also collected two interceptions on defense.  Lucius Comis (6 catches, 92 yards), Baxter Covington (four catches, 85 yards), Ben Carlson (1 catch, 61 yards) and Jonathan Morrill (1 catch, 36 yards) all caught touchdown passes, with Comis nabbing two.  Henry Sundlie added four grabs for 85 yards.  Murtaugh (7-3) was paced by quarterback Soyer Young, who rushed for 180 yards and a score and threw for 109 yards and a TD to Eli Merrick.  Jr. Benites added 56 yards and two touchdowns rushing.


CLASS 1AD2

(4B) Hagerman 54, (1A) Mullan/St. Regis 12

In a game played under relentless rain, the Pirates (9-2) found their footing and ran past Mullan/St. Regis (8-2).  Ky Kendall led the way with 155 yards and four touchdowns rushing, and 53 yards and a touchdown receiving.  Martin Gonzales added 181 yards and a score on the ground.  Mullan/St. Regis scored on a 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kofi Appiah and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Conner Lulis to Hunter Stola.

(2A) Kendrick 90, (4C) Dietrich 0

Kendrick (8-0) ran 15 offensive plays in the first half of Friday’s quarterfinal game.  Eight of those 15 plays ended with a Tigers touchdown as Kendrick led 78-0 at halftime.  Ty Koepp completed 5-of-6 passes for 188 yards and four touchdowns, while also adding seven yards and a rushing score.  Hunter Taylor caught two passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns, returned a punt 70 yards for a score, and came up with a fumble recovery on defense.  Sawyer Hewett caught two passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, and added 39 rushing yards.  Tanner Clemenhagen ran for 45 yards and a score, and returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown.  Wyatt Fitzmorris rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown.  Mason Kimberling caught one pass for a 15-yard TD.  Xavier Carpenter rushed for 17 yards and a TD.  Even freshman backup QB Maddox Kirkland came in and ran for a 21-yard touchdown and threw a 17-yard TD to Ralli Roetcisoender.  Dietrich (6-4) was led by Brody Togerson’s 50 yards receiving.

(4A) Camas County 70, (3C) Garden Valley 13

Camas County (8-1) advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2004 with a resounding win over Garden Valley (7-4).  Tristen Smith completed 6-of-10 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns for the Mushers.  His favorite target was Emmett Palan, who caught four balls for 90 yards and two scores.  Tyson Tupper ran for 101 yards and a TD to lead the ground attack.

(5-6A) Rockland 70, (3B) Tri-Valley 12

Rockland (8-2) is in the semifinals for the first time in over 30 years with a runaway win over Tri-Valley (7-3).  Teague Matthews led the way, rushing for 251 yards and five touchdowns, throwing for 101 yards and two TDs, and collecting eight tackles on defense.