The Shelley Russets will head out to take on the Blackfoot Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Shelley barely beat Idaho Falls the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Russets took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 63-7 victory over the Tigers. With the Russets ahead 37-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Conley Bennett
| 10/17/25 @ Idaho Falls | 99 |
| 10/10/25 vs Bonneville | 82 |
| 10/03/25 @ Skyline | 79 |
| 09/19/25 vs Century | 69 |
| 09/05/25 @ Sugar-Salem | 36 |
Conley Bennett was a one-man wrecking crew as he rushed for 99 yards and two TDs on only 11 carries. Those 99 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Hudson Bowcutt helped out on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Shelley's run defense was locked in: Idaho Falls could only muster 2.5 yards per carry. The team can thank Ryker Balmforth for the heroic effort on defense: he. Shelley's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 3.64 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 6.67 on average over their last five games.
Shelley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of McCoy Remington and Balmforth. Remington got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Blackfoot didn't have too much trouble with Thunder Ridge on Friday as they won 33-14. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Broncos.
Blackfoot's win came from a few key players Shelley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Austin Arave, who threw for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 43 yards. Cade Esplin was another key player, rushing for 73 yards and two scores.
Blackfoot's record now sits at 5-3. As for Shelley, they picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 2-6.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Shelley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 181.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Blackfoot struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 185.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Shelley came up short against Blackfoot in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 20-14. Can the Russets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
