Gridiron Guesses Nov. 4, 2022: The more messy the better for Post Falls tonight against Rocky
Gridiron Guesses.
By MARK NELKE
and JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writers
The weather forecast for today and tonight …
Snow.
Then rain.
Then high winds — even by Post Falls standards.
Just what the Trojans ordered.
Post Falls High won its first outright league title since 1995 this year, and earned its first first-round bye as a 5A school, and a home game in the quarterfinals.
The reward for the Trojans (7-2) — a date tonight at 7 at home vs. Rocky Mountain (9-1) of Meridian — voted preseason No. 1 in 5A by the state’s media, and remained their for the first seven weeks of the regular season, before losing 14-12 to Meridian, which took over the top spot for the rest of the season.
Rocky was No. 2 in the final poll; Post Falls received votes, but not enough to crack the top five. The loss to Meridian prevented Rocky from playing in the Southern Idaho Conference championship game, in which the winner in each division (Meridian and Eagle) received a first-round bye in the playoffs, and a home game in the quarterfinals. Rocky had to play in the first round last week, and pummeled Kuna 51-10.
“They’re really good,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said of Rocky. “They’re big, they’re fast, they’re athletic, and so they’re good. We’re excited that they’re up here, and we’re excited that we’re on grass, and our kids are excited to host another playoff game.”
Post Falls, mostly a passing team in recent years under Bennett, does most of its damage this year on the ground. Senior Jake Bustamante (1,179 yards, 18 TDs) missed the Trojans’ regular season finale at Lake City two weeks ago with an ankle injury, but is expected to play tonight.
In his absence, junior Tevin Burns ran for 204 yards and seven touchdowns — all in the first half — vs. Lake City, and has 703 rushing yards and 11 TDs on the year.
Rocky Mountain, however, is giving up just 55 yards a game on the ground.
“He took the same philosophy, and now we run the ball 27 times, 27 different ways, whereas before we had 27 different ways to throw the ball,” longtime Post Falls assistant coach Mike Blowers said of Bennett. “We’re still doing the no-huddle, playing as fast as we can, now we’re just running it more.”
Still playing fast, but running the ball instead of throwing?
“We have been able to run the legs off of teams that were really better than we are, and especially at the beginning of the season,” Blowers said. “We could just run their big guys to death — because it’s so difficult, and if you have somebody who plays two ways, those guys get worn out.”
Post Falls is in the playoffs for the fifth time under Bennett, in his seventh season as Trojans’ coach.
Post Falls is 1-4 over that span, three of those losses coming at home. From 2017-20, the Trojans started off each postseason at home, but their only win was 42-37 over Skyview of Nampa in the first round in 2018.
Elsewhere, only four other District 1 teams remain alive in the quarterfinals.
In 4A, last year’s runner-up Sandpoint (5-3) plays host to Shelley (5-5) tonight at 7.
In 3A, Bonners Ferry (9-0) plays at Weiser (9-1) on Saturday at noon. Weiser edged Timberlake 34-27 last week.
In 2A, Kellogg (6-3) plays at Bear Lake (7-1) tonight at 5 PDT.
In 1A Division II, Mullan/St. Regis (8-2) plays host to Garden Valley (8-1) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Mullan.
As for the picks, both Mark and Jason went 1-2, hitting on Weiser and missing on Lakeland and St. Maries.
For the season, Mark is 48-10, Jason 44-14.
HIGH SCHOOL
Rocky Mountain (9-1) at Post Falls (7-2)
Friday, 7 p.m.
NELKE: The Trojans couldn’t have drawn a much tougher foe for their quarterfinal game. The Grizzlies are used to playing on artificial turf, so while some folks might hope the rain stops prior to kickoff and the winds are minimal, the more nasty the conditions, the more even this game could become.
Rocky Mountain, 18-12
ELLIOTT: When I've doubted Post Falls this year, the Trojans seem to rise to the occasion. Against Mt. Spokane and again against Lewiston on homecoming. Just when you think Post Falls will just run the ball and hope for the best, someone has a breakout game catching the ball.
Post Falls, 42-37