The Blackfoot Broncos will challenge the Shelley Russets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Friday, Blackfoot strolled past Thunder Ridge with points to spare, taking the game 33-14. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Broncos.
Blackfoot's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Austin Arave, who threw for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 43 yards. Another rusher making a difference was Cade Esplin, who rushed for 73 yards and two scores.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Shelley). They claimed a resounding 63-7 win over Idaho Falls. The victory continues a trend for the Russets in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won four in a row.
Blackfoot better keep an eye on Conley Bennett. He was instrumental in Shelley's win, rushing for 99 yards and a pair of TDs on only 11 carries. What's more, Bennett posted two rushing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in August. Hudson Bowcutt was another key rusher, rushing for 80 yards and one touchdown on only ten carries.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Shelley proved: they limited Idaho Falls to a paltry 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.
The win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-6. As for Blackfoot, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Blackfoot has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 185.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shelley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 181.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Blackfoot didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Shelley in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 20-14 win. Will the Broncos repeat their success, or do the Russets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
