The Blackfoot Broncos had a little too much of everything in Friday's Great 8 4A playoff football game against the upstart Wood River Wolverines.
Blackfoot (9-0), seeking its third State 4A football championship in five years, whipped visiting Wood River (6-4) by a 41-13 score to advance into the quarterfinals at Skyview of Nampa (7-2) on Friday, Nov. 4.
"We lost to a very good football team," said Wood River coach Kevin Stilling. "Blackfoot was a well-oiled machine with a lot of weapons."
Outgaining the Wolverines 424-271 in total yards, the Broncos had too much passing (149 yards), too much running (248 yards), awesome special teams and unyielding defense.
There was too much of senior quarterback Trae Pilster (11-for-18, 149 yards, 4 TD), too much of junior wide receiver Colby Pearson (6 catches, 74 yards, 3 TD plus a 23-yard TD fumble return) and too much of a swarming and quick defense.
Pearson caught three Pilster TD passes in a 12-minute span during the first half to turn an early 10-0 Bronco lead into a 31-0 runaway just before the half.
Wood River, which averaged 299 yards a game rushing, was limited to a season-low 147 and seldom broke free. Nineteen of 37 Wolverine rushes were for two yards or less. Stilling said, "Blackfoot didn't do anything differently against us than any other team did, like Minico. They were just better at it."
All-time leading rusher Greg Lindbloom closed out his Wolverine career with 19 carries for 68 yards, bringing his season total to 193 rushes for 1,426 yards (7.4 yards per carry, 142 yards per game) with a school-record 21 TDs and 128 points. He scored in every game including a five-yard TD in the fourth quarter at Blackfoot.
Lindbloom is the school's all-time top rusher with 283 carries for 1,863 yards (6.6 yards per carry). His was the lion's share of the team total of 2,989 yards on 413 rushes this season (7.2 yards, 298.9 a game).
"Greg had an outstanding season," said Stilling. "But the biggest thing about our team this fall was—they all pulled on the same rope. Sometimes you just run into a better team."
One offensive highlight for Wood River Friday took place in the final minute of the first half. After Blackfoot pulled ahead 31-0, senior running back Trace Tupper carried a right-end pitch for 25 yards behind a fine block by Lindbloom.
A pass interference call drawn by senior receiver Austin Hafer moved the ball to the Bronco 25. From there junior quarterback Tommy Bailey rolled right and tossed his first TD pass covering 25 yards to Tupper along the right sideline.
Wood River's final TD drive covered seven plays and 75 yards late in the fourth quarter—the big play a 38-yard option pass from Lindbloom to Tupper. Lindbloom dragged three Bronco tacklers across the goal line for the 41-13 final.
At the end of the game, the sizable Wood River rooting section stood up and gave the Wolverines a standing ovation, and the players chanted "Thank you, fans," in unison before leaving the field.
"I think, since the Twin Falls game, the kids responded and went out and played all four quarters of their final three games. They never quit and played hard. They jelled as a group. Hopefully, 10 years from now, they can look back at this year as the year that turned our program around."
All three of Great Basin Conference teams lost in Friday's games. Hillcrest of Idaho Falls (7-3) won at previously unbeaten Minico (9-1) by a 27-20 score. Preston (3-6) beat Twin Falls (5-4) by a 28-21 count.
WRHS Line Score
Blackfoot 41, Wood River 13
WOOD RIVER 0 7 0 6 13
BLACKFOOT 17 14 7 3 41
SCORING
1st half
Blackfoot—Colton Dance, 8-yard pass from Trae Pilster (Luis Osequera kick); 7:53 1st (7-0 B)
Blackfoot—Luis Osequera, 26-yard field goal; 3:52 1st (10-0 B)
Blackfoot—Colby Pearson, 10-yard pass from Trae Pilster (Luis Osequera kick); 0:20 1st (17-0 B)
Blackfoot—Colby Pearson, 9-yard pass from Trae Pilster (Luis Osequera kick); 2:09 2nd (24-0 B)
Blackfoot—Colby Pearson, 18-yard pass from Trae Pilster (Luis Osequera kick); 0:46 2nd (31-0 B)
Wood River—Trace Tupper, 25-yard pass from Tommy Bailey (Trevor Brand kick); 0:15 2nd (31-7 B)
2nd half
Blackfoot—Colby Pearson, 23-yard fumble recovery (Luis Osequera kick); 7:09 3rd (38-7 B)
Blackfoot—Luis Osequera, 25-yard field goal; 8:47 4th (41-7 B)
Wood River—Greg Lindbloom, 5-yard run (conversion failed); 5:12 4th (41-13 B)
KEY STATS WOOD RIVER BLACKFOOT
Offensive plays 61 67
Time of possession 24:13 23:47
1st downs, rush 8 11
1st downs, pass 2 6
1st downs, penalty 1 1
1st downs, total 11 18
Rushes, yards 37-147 38-248
Yards per carry 4.0 6.5
Fumbles lost 1 1
Completions, passes 4-7 11-18
Completion percentage 58% 62%
Passing yards 72 149
Yards per completion 18.0 13.6
Intercepted by 1 1
Sacks by, yards 0-0 2-12
Returns, yards 5-65 3-27
Total yards gained 272 424
Third down efficiency 3-9 4-8
Fourth down efficiency 0-1 4-4
Penalties 3-35 5-40
Punts, yardage 5-128 0-0
Yards per punt 25.6 0.0
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS—Wood River
Rushing—Greg Lindbloom 19-68, 5 1sts, 1 TD; Trace Tupper 7-52, 2 1sts; Austin Hafer 5-24; Ian Keys 4-6, 1st; Braxton Parish 1, -1; Tommy Bailey 1, -2.
Passing—Tommy Bailey 3-6, 34 yards, 1 1st, 1 TD, 1 interception; Greg Lindbloom 1-1, 38 yards, 1 1st.
Receiving—Trace Tupper 3-61, 1 1st, 1 TD; Braxton Parish 1-11, 1 1st.
Fumble recoveries (1)—KJ Savaria 1.
Interceptions (1)—Colton Larkin 1.
Kickoff returns—Ian Keys 4-49; Austin Hafer 1-16.
All-purpose yardage—Trace Tupper 113, Greg Lindbloom 106.
Tackles (68)—Austin Hafer 12, Drew Barsch 11, KJ Savaria 8, Greg Lindbloom 7, Braxton Parish 6, Chance Larkin 5, Ben Williams 3, Chris Carnes 3, Connor Farrow 2, Karel Kaiser 2, Colton Larkin 2, Jake Vegwert 2, Calub Castle 1, Connor Braatz 1, Joe McGonigal 1, Gus Conrad 1, Wyatt Griffith 1 .
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS—Blackfoot
Rushing leaders—Ryan Gallegos 6-61, 2 1sts; Carlton Moore 9-56, 2 1sts; Trae Pilster 9-43, 2 1sts; Ryan Murdoch 6-39, 3 1sts; Kyle Haddon 4-20, 1 1st; Jake Denning 2-17, 1 1st; Colby Pearson 2-12.
Passing—Trae Pilster 11-18, 149 yards, 6 1sts, 4 TD, 1 interception.
Receiving—Colby Pearson 6-74, 3 1sts, 3 TD; James Korth 1-28, 1 1st; Gabby Maldonado 1-19, 1st; Cody Evans 1-12, 1st; Colton Dance 1-8, 1 TD; Jeremy Leavitt 1-8.
Fumble recoveries (1)—Colby Pearson 1 with 23-yard TD return.
Interceptions (1)—Colby Pearson 1 with 5-yard return.
Sacks (2)—Kyle Parris and Austin Campbell 1-9; James Wislodoski 1-3.
Kickoff returns—Cody Evans 2-22.
All-purpose yardage—Trae Pilster 192, Colby Pearson 114.
Tackle leaders—Kyle Parris 9, Chance Jensen 8, James Wislodoski 7, Michael Windes 6, Ryan Gallegos 5, Dominick Smiddy 5, Ryan Murdoch 3.
2011 Wood River Final Football Composite
TOTAL SCORING
Opponents 44 64 29 44 181 (18.1)
Wood River 68 89 54 70 281 (28.1)
RESULTS (6-4 overall, 3-2 home, 3-2 away, 3-2 Great Basin Conference—3rd place)
Aug. 26 (Home) Sugar-Salem 25, Wood River 22
Sept. 2 (Home) Wood River 21, Buhl 8
Sept. 9 (Away) Wood River 72, Wendell 13
Sept. 16 (Away) Wood River 20, Gooding 6
Sept. 23 (Home) Wood River 35, Jerome 22
Sept. 30 (Away) Minico 34, Wood River 15
Oct. 7 (Home) Twin Falls 17, Wood River 14
Oct. 14 (Home) Wood River 27, Burley 6
Oct. 21 (Away) Wood River 42, Canyon Ridge 9
Oct. 28 (A, Blackfoot, Great 8) Blackfoot 41, Wood River 13
SCORING TD CONV PTS.
Greg Lindbloom 21 1 128
Trace Tupper 5 0 30
Ian Keys 5 0 30
Trevor Brand 0 19 19
Gus Conrad 1 10 16
Austin Hafer 2 0 12
K.J. Savaria 2 0 12
Tommy Bailey 2 0 12
Braxton Parish 1 1 8
Colton Larkin 1 0 6
Cooper Bailey 1 0 6
Note: Wood River also has a 2-point safety.
Touchdown passes—Tommy Bailey 1, Austin Hafer 1. Conversion passes—0. Notes—Wood River scored in 30 of 40 quarters....Wood River successfully made 31 of 41 conversions (76% success rate)....Wood River scored 41 TD—37 on runs from scrimmage, 2 on passes, 2 on kickoff or punt returns, 0 on defense.
Wood River senior Trace Tupper rushed 7 times for 52 yards at Blackfoot, and caught a 25-yard TD pass from Tommy Bailey. Photo by David N. Seelig
