Worth the wait: Eagle football topples Meridian with fast start, highlight-reel finish

Dallin Snooks didn’t learn he’d start on Eagle’s kick return team until Saturday morning. He didn’t waste much time rewarding his football coaches for the decision.

The junior returned the opening kickoff Saturday night 95 yards for a touchdown, then pulled in a 7-yard touchdown catch in the final seconds to seal a 28-13 win over Meridian in a clash of two of the 6A SIC’s preseason favorites.

The rematch of the past two league championship games went through a series of back-and-forths the past 24 hours as wildfire smoke smothered the Treasure Valley. Poor air quality first postponed the game from Friday to Saturday. When it didn’t improve, the schools decided at 2 p.m. Saturday to move the game to Homedale in search of clearer skies.

[Related: Boise snaps 32-game losing streak to rival; Timberline tops Borah on walk-off field goal]

The on-again, off-again nature threatened to spoil months of preparation for the season opener. But after spending the past couple of weeks begging for a chance to return kicks, Snooks provided the initial spark Saturday that set No. 3-ranked Eagle on its way.

“That’s just energy,” Eagle quarterback Austin Ramsey said. “Right when we saw him take off, we knew it was (our) game from there.”

Snooks also drove the final nail in the coffin with his TD reception with 1:20 remaining. Meridian tipped a Ramsey pass at the line of scrimmage, creating a potential turnover and one last chance for a rally. But Snooks and Meridian corner Kalani Reynolds both came down with the jump ball, and Snooks refused to let Reynolds wrestle it away.

“It was definitely a 50-50 (ball),” Snooks said. “But I was able to out(muscle) him and tear it away, and the tie goes to the receiver. It was legit 50-50. We both had it, for sure.”

Ramsey also shined in his first start under center. He spent much of last season rotating in as an option quarterback for specific packages. But he rarely looked to run Saturday, instead showcasing an efficient arm that allowed him to complete his first six passes and finish the night 10-of-14 passes for 189 yards and two TDs.

Ramsey said he learned tons working alongside current Idaho State quarterback Davis Harsin. But the dual-quarterback system made it hard for either to build a rhythm. He found that rhythm early Saturday, leading the Mustangs to touchdowns on their first two possessions.

“He’s definitely a kid that is a true dual threat,” Eagle coach James Cluphf said. “He can do it with his arm and his legs, like you know. We’re excited to really showcase those talents and let him rip it around a little bit tonight.

“He showed the state what he can do.”

Eagle’s defense also showed it hasn’t lost a step after fielding one of the state’s best units a year ago. The Mustangs held Meridian to 7 offensive points and 162 total yards. Meridian quarterback Zeke Martinez ran for a 6-yard touchdown to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive on the Warriors’ opening possession. But Meridian mustered just 60 yards on 32 plays the rest of the night.

The Warriors scored their second touchdown when Gabe Martinez returned what was ruled a backwards pass and a fumble 65 yards to the end zone.

“I think our defense did a phenomenal job of keeping (Zeke Martinez) bottled up inside the tackles and making sure that those throws didn’t come to wide open receivers after he scrambled around forever,” Cluphf said.

UP NEXT

Eagle: Takes on West Linn, the preseason favorite in Oregon’s top classification, at 11 a.m. Saturday at Rocky Mountain in the Northwest Showdown.

Meridian: Hosts crosstown rival Mountain View (1-0) on Friday. The Warriors have ended Mountain View’s season three years in a row.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN 53, KUNA 14

The Grizzlies turned a 10-7 game at halftime into a laugher with 43 second-half points Saturday afternoon in Homedale.

Rocky Mountain (1-0) quarterback Austin Rovig completed 18-of-25 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns. Jeff Thompson and Cade Benedick both ran loose through the Kuna secondary, with Thompson grabbing five catches for 124 yards and two TDs and Benedick turning eight catches into 121 yards and two TDs.

Rocky Mountain’s defense also forced five turnovers and held the Kavemen to 175 total yards. Trey Broadbent returned an interception 15 yards for six points, and Austin McDermott wrapped up the scoring with a 30-yard fumble return.

Colton Deatherage led Kuna with eight catches for 121 yards and a TD. Quarterback Lino Senio finished 16-for-23 for 187 yards and a TD, and he ran for another score.

MIDDLETON 20, NAMPA 17

Jake Perez found the end zone on the ground and through the air to lead the Vikings to a nonconference win in a game moved to Fruitland to escape poor air quality in the Boise metro area.

Perez led the Vikings (1-0) with 85 rushing yards on 11 carries, while Middleton quarterback Brockton Smith went 9-for-10 for 156 yards and a touchdown — a 42-yard strike to Perez in the second quarter.

Ryker Good ran for both TDs for Nampa (1-1), finishing the evening with 52 yards on 20 carries.

HOMEDALE 47, FILER 0

The No. 2-ranked Trojans (2-0) scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions and held Filer to 122 yards of offense for a blowout win on the road.

Javid Blewett ran for 95 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries to lead the onslaught. Quarterback Xavier Uranga finished 15-for-19 for 184 yards and two TDs, and Tyce Fisher headlined the defense with 14 tackles and a sack.