Mitchell’s career day helps Highland knock off Eagle, secure semifinal berth

POCATELLO — After 30 varsity games across three seasons with the Highland Rams, senior Cedric Mitchell was determined to have his high school career continue beyond Friday’s state quarterfinal road game.

Mitchell, who rushed for 68 yards and three touchdowns when Highland lost to the Eagle Mustangs on Aug. 21, produced the biggest rushing performance of his varsity career, running for 220 yards and two scores against those same Mustangs Friday night. For leading the Rams to a 28-14 upset at Eagle High School, Mitchell is the East Idaho Sports District 5 Athlete of the Week.

Not only were the 220 yards a career best for Mitchell, surpassing his previous career-high of 206 set last year against Thunder Ridge, but his 32 carries were also the biggest workload he has ever received. He also matched a season-long 55-yard run. The two touchdowns were not a career- or season-best, as he has scored three times in a single game twice before, including in Week 0 against the Mustangs.

The career performance gave Mitchell 1,115 rushing yards this season — good enough for third among all 6A players, behind Lake City’s Brayden Van Leuven (1,306) and Eagle’s Bowen Blackburn (1,201), who ran for 46 yards against the stingy Highland defense.

Because both Blackburn and Van Leuven had saw their seasons come to an end with playoff losses to the Rams, Mitchell, who is 201 yards ahead of Boise’s Lagan McDonald’s fourth-highest total of 914 yards, has a shot at leading the 6A classification in rushing this season.

His rushing total is already a single-season best for Mitchell, as are his 13 rushing touchdowns and 16 total touchdowns.

Mitchell and the No. 5 Rams will look to continue their season-half surge when they visit the No. 1 Coeur d’Alene Vikings (10-0) on Saturday.

The last time the Rams and Vikings met was in 2023, when Highland took down Coeur d’Alene, 35-28, in the 5A state championship game. Saturday’s winner will advance into this season’s title contest, where they will meet the winner of Saturday’s Rocky Mountain-Rigby matchup.