Scott Bartlett had a monster game for the Wood River High School varsity football team Friday. But, then again, he's been doing it all season for Mike Glenn's Wolverines.
Glenn said, "Scott has been our one constant all season."
Bartlett rushed 42 times for 242 yards and three touchdowns as the visiting Wolverines captured their first-ever football win over a 4A team with a convincing 27-7 non-league triumph over the Kuna Kavemen.
The Kavemen partisans exploded fireworks behind the Wood River grandstand at halftime during Kuna's Homecoming celebration across the field from their huge home crowd—but it was Wood River's football team providing a methodical 48 minutes of fireworks all evening.
Doing nothing fancy, they out-muscled Kuna on offense and defense.
Wood River (3-4, 0-2 league) won on the road for the first time since a 28-20 success at Filer in the waning days of the 2002 season. The Wolverines did it with a conservative, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust running attack (54 carries for 315 yards). Kuna had only 69 rushing yards.
"The kids played physical up front," said Glenn.
Not only did Bartlett set a school record with an ironman-like 42 carries, he crept over the 1,000-yard rushing mark and became the all-time Wood River single-season leader in rushing yardage—and there are still two games left in the 2005 regular season for Glenn's squad.
Bartlett's outstanding rushing numbers are now 167 carries for 1,008 yards (6.0) and 11 TD. He broke the previous school record of 166 carries for 1,002 yards set by Tom Sluder in 1989. Sluder holds the career rushing standard of 1,712 yards in his 18-game varsity career.
Doing it up front at Kuna was the Wood River offensive line of center Chris Chapman, guards Adrian Grimaldo and Corbin Miniard, tackles Casey Lane and Casey Bennett, and tight end Collin Hand. The lead and crackback blocking of fullback Tyler Jackson were big factors as well.
Wood River wanted to pass more at Kuna, Glenn said, but the Wolverines took what they were given and exploited the successful Bartlett running as much as possible. Coach Glenn said, "The trap and counter were huge for us in the first half."
With Bartlett often lined up as a single back, Wood River's offense thrived on misdirection plays in the first half when the visitors out-rushed Kuna 179-45. The second half was pretty much the same, although the Kavemen started blitzing into the traps. Still, Wood River out-rushed Kuna 136-24 after intermission.
In rushing first downs, a critical measure of running success, Wood River amassed 14 to Kuna's one.
Field position was crucial. Kuna had dreadful field position in the first half, starting three different drives at their own three-, one- and four-yard lines. All game long, the Kavemen never drove past the Wolverine 40-yard-line. Their only touchdown was on an 89-yard kickoff return.
Glenn said about his unit of Erik Jacobson, Anthony Quarles, Andrew Grimaldo, Dusty Selner and Alex Burwell, "Our defensive line really stepped up. The kids got a little more confidence and took some chances. And Carl (middle linebacker Browning) made some monster plays."
Browning finished with a game-high 16 tackles and two sacks.
The game was scoreless for much of the first quarter. An 18-yard Kenny Cardona punt return put Wood River in business at its 35. Bartlett rushed six times for 41 yards on the subsequent 10-play, 65-yard TD drive. But it wasn't all rushing. Quarterback Danny Kramer connected with fullback Tyler Jackson on two passes for 29 more big yards.
Bartlett's first of three TDs made it 6-0 and Dima Springs converted.
Kuna answered with its best drive of the game, from its four-yard-line up to midfield before tackles by Selner, Andrew Grimaldo, Jacobson and Hand stopped Kaveman QB Luke Durrant in his tracks twice and Kuna handed the ball over on downs.
Wood River took over and moved deep into Kuna territory on a Tyler Jackson 12-yard quick opener. On fourth-and-six at the Kuna 31, Jackson got the call again on an inside trap and accelerated through a huge hole for a 31-yard TD gallop. The score became 14-0 Wood River.
Kuna shot back with an 89-yard TD kickoff return by Kirk Miller and a tighter 14-7 game, but Wood River rode out the rest of the first half and prepared for what has become its problem period—the third quarter.
"No penalties...smart football...focus, focus, focus!" Glenn shouted at Hailey players as they ran back onto the field for the second half. The Wolverines hadn't scored a point in the third quarter in five games. They'd been outscored 56-7.
The defense got the ball back and the offense lined up for its first play. Glenn saw something wrong, and decided to burn a time out just two minutes into the third quarter. Afterwards, he said, "We weren't focused. We're a young team and our confidence is still shaky. So I called time out. I wanted us to do it right."
And they certainly got it right.
Bartlett circled the right end for 16 yards and went around the left for 17 more. Jackson plunged for short yardage and a first down, Bartlett went for 10 yards and moved the sticks again. Bartlett attacked the left end for a 14-yard TD run. Eight plays, 71 yards in 3:16, with Bartlett running six times for 67 yards.
"It was an awesome drive," said Glenn, whose offense is now averaging 21.7 points per game. "The kids are starting to grow. I just knew we could beat these people (Kuna)."
The 21-7 deficit and a pop-gun passing attack pretty much killed Kuna's chances—and the Kavemen virtually tossed in the towel going for a first down on fourth-and-one at their own 11-yard-line. Browning, Danny Ward, Hand and Andrew Grimaldo stopped a run for no gain.
Shortly afterward the third quarter ended and the Wood River rooting section, which included many players and parents from Glenn's former Eagle High School grid program, gave the Wolverines a huge ovation as they came off the field to get ready for the final 12 minutes.
Bartlett plunged home for his third touchdown and 11th of the season to finish the scoring at 27-7.
Running off the Kuna gridiron after greeting well wishers and conducting several post-game interviews, Glenn raised his fist and shouted the familiar slogan-of-the-season, "Wolverine Rage, baby!"
What did the victory mean? Glenn said, "I knew this game was huge to give us a chance mentally against Jerome next Friday."
Jerome here for "Senior Night"
The Kuna victory was terrific for Wood River's grid revival, but the season's key game arrives Friday, Oct. 14 when the Jerome Tigers come to Hailey's Homer field for the annual Wolverine "Senior Night."
Opening kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday.
Fourteen Wood River senior football players and their parents will be honored at Friday's game—and hopefully they'll be sharing in a little bit of Wolverine football history. It's been 30 years since a Wood River varsity football team beat Jerome.
Wood River grid teams have lost 24 straight games to Jerome by an 815-143 score, dating back to the last win 30 years ago, 19-6 in Hailey in 1975. Jerome leads the 32-game grid series 29-3, but the Tigers barely escaped with a win the last time they visited Hailey—27-26 OT in 2002.
Last year Jerome beat Wood River 39-13 in the Tiger den.
Whichever team wins in the Wood River-Jerome match-up will capture third place in the Great Basin Conference West league and will have the dubious honor of playing, most likely, undefeated Pocatello (6-0) in the first round of the State 4A playoffs Oct. 28. Pocatello and Century (3-3) square off Friday, Oct. 14 for first place in southeastern Idaho.
This year, Jerome is 0-6, 0-1 league. The Tigers have lost eight consecutive games over two seasons by a 271-93 margin. But Jerome coaches, coming off their 26-15 home loss to Buhl Thursday, scouted Wood River comprehensively Friday in Kuna. The Tigers can score, having averaged 11.8 ppg.
Glenn said about the prospect of beating Jerome and advancing to the 4A playoffs in two weeks, "We want to play Pocatello. It will be a good measure of where we are."
WOLVERINE NOTES—Playing Kuna for the first time in 26 years, Wood River won for the first time at Kuna and improved to 3-1 in the four-game grid series with the 4A Kavemen......Wood River has scored 152 points in seven games, compared to 136 points in 17 games over the past two seasons. The Hailey rushing attack in seven games has been good for 263 carries for 1,437 yards (5.5 yards per carry), compared to 1,169 rushing yards for foes. Last season's nine-game season-ending WR rushing totals were 1,369 yards (3.9).....Kuna principal and former Wood River High boys' basketball coach Roger Quarles sat in the Wood River grandstand to watch his son Anthony play for the Wolverines Friday night. Quarles said with a smile that it was the first time he had been in the opposition bleachers for a Kuna home football game.....Dusty Selner and Danny Ward threw a bucket of water on coach Glenn at the end of the game....After the game Glenn personally greeted the sizable Eagle High School rooting section in the Wood River grandstand. "There's a lot of leftover love there," he said.
Bartlett, who rushed for only 138 yards all last season, rushed for 115 yards in the first half and 127 in the second. He was so dog-tired at the end of the game that he fumbled twice for losses of 14 yards, or else his total would have been 258 yards....Bartlett has four 100-yard rushing games this season—231 against Filer, 104 against American Falls, 199 against Burley and 242 against Kuna....With 66 points, he is Wood River's highest scorer since Max Paisley set the single-season school record with 106 points in 2000.....For his career, Bartlett has 1,146 yards. Other Wood River top rushers behind Sluder (1,712 in 1987-89) are Lowell Anderson (1,415 from 1985-86), Hoss Schmidt (1,376 from 1992-93), Todd Christiansen (1,033 from 1998-99) and D.J. McMurdo (925 from 1982-83)....Bartlett's 42 carries at Kuna broke the single-game record of 36 set by Boe Rushton in his school-high 356 yard effort during a 54-20 loss at Middleton Oct. 24, 1997.
Wood River 27, Kuna 7
wood river 0 14 7 6 27
KUNA. 0 7 0 0 7
SCORING
1st half
Wood River—Scott Bartlett, 5-yard run (Dima Springs kick); 10:35 2nd (7-0 WR)
Wood River—Tyler Jackson, 31-yard run (Dima Springs kick); 1:14 2nd (14-0 WR)
Kuna—Kirk Miller, 89-yard kickoff return (Jacob Waldorf kick); 1:01 2nd (14-7 WR)
2nd half
Wood River—Scott Bartlett, 14-yard run (Dima Springs kick); 6:46 3rd (21-7 WR)
Wood River—Scott Bartlett, 1-yard run (kick failed); 11:28 4th (27-7 WR)
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KEY STATS
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WOOD RIVER
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KUNA
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|
Offensive plays
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73
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67
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|
Time of possession
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27:39
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20:21
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|
1st downs, rush
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14
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1
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|
1st downs, pass
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1
|
2
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|
1st downs, penalty
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1
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3
|
|
1st downs, total
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16
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6
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Rushes, yards
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54-315
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27-69
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Yards per carry
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5.8
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2.6
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|
Fumbles lost
|
2
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0
|
|
Completions, passes
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2-10
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6-20
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Completion percentage
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20%
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30%
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|
Passing yards
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29
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56
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|
Yards per completion
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14.5
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9.3
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Intercepted by
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0
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1
|
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Sacks by, yards
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3-29
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2-5
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Returns, yards
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3-27
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6-130
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Total yards gained
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366
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226
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Penalties
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12-115
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10-54
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|
Punts, yardage
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4-160
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5-170
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Yards per punt
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40.0
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34.0
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INDIVIDUAL LEADERS—Wood River
Rushing—Scott Bartlett 42-242 (5.8 per carry), 11 1st downs, 3 TD; Tyler Jackson 9-64, 2 1sts, 1 TD; Danny Kramer 2-10, 1 1st.
Passing—Danny Kramer 2-10, 29 yards, 1 1st, 1 interception.
Receiving—Tyler Jackson 2-29, 1 1st.
Sacks (3)—Carl Browning 2-22; Anthony Quarles 1-7.
Kickoff returns—Travis Beckman 1-8.
Punt returns—Kenny Cardona 2-23.
Tackles (60)—Carl Browning 16, Jeff Conover 7, Collin Hand 7, Andrew Grimaldo 6, Danny Ward 4, Houston Shaw 4, Grayson Thompson 4, Erik Jacobson 3, Huston Brashears 3, Anthony Quarles 2, Carter Stewart 1, Dusty Selner 1, Cameron Rendahl 1, Alex Burwell 1.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS—Kuna
Rushing—Mike Fisette 17-56, 1 1st; Drew Hummel 3-9; Trent Deyoung 1-3; Luke Durrant 6-1.
Passing—Luke Durrant 6-20, 56 yards, 2 1sts.
Receiving—Nico Lopez 3-39, 2 1sts; Kirk Miller 1-8; Trent Deyoung 1-6; Devin Thornton 1-3.
Fumble recoveries (2)—Will Dunson 1, Paul Kloepfer 1.
Interceptions (1)—Kirk Miller 1.
Sacks (2)—Dustin Taylor 2-5.
Kickoff returns—Kirk Miller 2-110 with an 89-yard TD return; Drew Hummel 2-12.
Punt returns—Kirk Miller 2-8.
Tackle leaders—Drew Hummel 11, Devin Thornton 10, Wayne Harris 9, T.J. Kiernan 9, Dustin Taylor 8, Darrick Berner 5, Andy Pense 5, Chad Kloepfer 4.
Wood River Football Composite 2005
TOTAL SCORING
Opponents 13 47 56 34 150 (21.4)
Wood River 35 69 14 34 152 (21.7)
RESULTS
(3-4 overall, 2-2 home, 1-2 away, 0-2 Great Basin Conference West)
Aug. 26 (Home) Wood River 42, Filer 0
Sept. 2 (Home) Hillcrest 34, Wood River 13
Sept. 9 (Away) Minico 27, Wood River 8
Sept. 16 (Away) Buhl 27, Wood River 7
Sept. 23 (Home) Wood River 42, American Falls 14
Sept. 30 (Home) Burley 41, Wood River 13
Oct. 7 (Away) Wood River 27, Kuna 7
Oct. 14 (Home)
SCORING TD CONV PTS.
Scott Bartlett 11 0 66
Tyler Jackson 6 0 36
Dima Springs 0 18 18
Jeff Conover 2 0 12
Huston Brashears 1 0 6
Danny Ward 1 0 6
Anthony Quarles 1 0 6
Carl Browning 0 1 2
Touchdown passes—Tyler Jackson 2.
Conversion passes—Tyler Jackson 1.
Notes—Wood River has scored in 15 of 28 quarters....Wood River has successfully made 19 of 22 conversions (87% success rate)....Wood River has scored 22 TDs—17 on runs from scrimmage, 2 on passes, 3 on defense.
Scott Bartlett has been a big part of Wood River's football success this fall. Photo by Willy Cook
