Highland earns ‘gritty’ win over Pocatello in ‘Black and Blue Bowl’ rivalry game

POCATELLO — For the 14th consecutive year, the Highland Rams have won bragging rights as rulers of Pocatello.

Behind a resilient effort from quarterback Keaton Belnap, a dual-faceted contribution from running back-punter Cedric Mitchell, and the tireless attack of defensive end Markell Bowens, Highland won Friday night’s Black and Blue Bowl, 28-18, over Pocatello.

The Thunder (3-2 overall) have not won the rivalry game since a 25-17 triumph in 2010.

Rams head coach Nick Sorrell, who was a player at Highland long before he took the reigns from Gino Mariani, remains undefeated in the Black and Blue game as a varsity player and coach. He spoke about what the win, which he referred to as “gritty” and “determined,” means.

“Things stay right in the universe,” he said. “They’re a great team, they’ve got some great playmakers, but it’s one of those things where we’ve, kind of, had our domination in this rivalry over the years. … We want to take of of business in-city, but we’ve got bigger goals as well.”

Mitchell, Highland’s do-everything back, carried the ball 13 times for 59 yards and one touchdown, but that was far from his biggest contribution to the Rams (6-0) Friday. Mitchell is also the team’s punter, and employing the rugby-style run kick, he pinned Pocatello inside its own 20 three times — and inside its own 5 twice.

All three ensuing Pocatello possession resulted in Highland stops leading to short Rams drives ending in touchdowns.

Sorrell said that, while other teams can overlook the importance of special teams, his team focuses on it.

“You can’t ask for anything better from that unit tonight,” the coach said of his punt team.

“When we put together three full units of four-quarter football, we’re pretty scary,” he added.

Before Highland ever touched the ball, Pocatello took the opening kickoff 80 yards for the game’s first touchdown. And while senior quarterback Hunter May was the main attraction throughout the drive, its biggest play was a fake punt resulting in a 25-yard run by running back and punter Kache Stucki.

May finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Mucculloch.

The star quarterback and safety finished the game with 16 carries for 95 yards and one score while completing 15 of 30 pass attempts for 120 yards and two scores. Defensively, he added an interception.

May’s opposite number, Highland’s junior quarterback Belnap, though not as efficient, was as effective. Belnap completed five of his 11 pass attempts, for 65 yards and one score, while running 14 times for 37 yards and two more.

But, as Sorrell explained, his quarterback was not playing at full strength.

Belnap, he said, has been dealing with illness, but gritted it out for his team.

“He just stepped up,” Sorrell said. “He’s doing whatever he can to help this team, in any single way … he’s that true QB1 leader that we need to have.”

After the game, Belnap admitted that he was under the weather and nauseous all night, but that the combination of medication and adrenaline helped him through — though both began to wear off in the second half.

“This team needs me, and I just want to help them out any way I can,” he said.

The two familiar foes went back and forth all night, with Pocatello throwing the first punch on its first possession, only to see Highland answer with scores in its second and forth possessions — the second of which coming on a 27-yard strike from Belnap to Chase Zweigart in the final seconds of the first half.

Highland took a 21-12 lead, the first multiple-possession advantage of the night, late in the third quarter. But Poky answered right back on a 31-yard bomb from May to Tavin Williams.

Following May’s interception of a Zweigart double-pass attempt, the Thunder had an opportunity to take a late lead. But a failed fourth-down attempt gave Highland a short field.

The Rams punched across the dagger on a fourth-down attempt of their own. Only, theirs came on a fourth and goal at the one.

Sorrell said that it was an easy choice to go for it in that instance, as a touchdown, he knew, could mean a win, and a failed effort would then force Pocatello to oo 99 yards to take the lead.

“We’re just going to put the game away and finish it,” he said of the decision.

Perhaps the biggest performance of the night came from Highland’s senior defensive end Bowens, who seemed to create immediate pressure throughout the game.

Though he will not be credited with a single sack — and only a handful of tackles — his handprints will be all over the win.

Bowens pressured May all night, forcing the Thunder star to scramble even more than he normally does. And on Pocatello’s final play of the night, a fourth-down attempt near midfield, Bowens was once again in the backfield almost as quick of the ball, and made contact with May’s throwing arm as the QB was set to release a pass directed at an open received.

Sorrell called Bowens a “major disrupter,” saying his supreme combination of size — he is listed at 6-foot-5, 222 pounds — strength and speed make him a matchup nightmare, forcing opposing teams to double him on every snap.

“He’s got such a fast get-off that people just cannot block him one-on-one — he is on you right now,” Sorrell said. “What we’ve noticed with a lot of teams is, they are just taking their protection to him — now we need those other kids to step up.”

When asked if he is happy to be on the same sideline as Bowens, Belnap laughed before saying it makes him “so happy.”

“At practice, he’s on me the entire time, because he’s so fast, he’s so strong,” Belnap said. “He’s such a stud and it definitely is such a relief that I don’t have to go against him.”

Coming off the loss, Pocatello will shift its focus to Twin Falls (3-1, 3-0), whom they will host next week.

Highland will set its sights on Rigby (4-1, 0-0), who will also come to Pocatello next week.

Belnap, a transfer from Marsh Valley, said he was excited to get a win in his first taste of the Black and Blue Bowl rivalry. He added that, the next week will be about focusing on executing against a tough Trojans squad.

“Just execute. That’s the main thing,” he said. … “It all comes down to execution, and everyone doing their job.”

Sorrell said that the next seven days will be about keeping the emotions of a huge rivalry win in check.

“Next week is going to be the same thing, and we’re going to have to get geared back up. It’s going to be a fistfight,” he said. … “It’s go time.”