Zak Grigg celebrates his 17th birthday by carrying Beavers to season-opening win
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SODA SPRINGS — The American Falls Beavers found themselves in a tight game at the half in Soda Springs, leading 12-0. But Zak Grigg helped break it open early in the third quarter as the Beavers ran away from the Cardinals Friday night.
After forcing a quick three-and-out from Soda Springs coming out of halftime, Grigg took the handoff from quarterback Dax Brower on the first play of the ensuing possession and sprinted 58 yards to the end zone, pushing the Beaver lead to 19-0. American Falls never looked back, claiming a 26-8 Week 0 victory.
American Falls head coach Tim Hoppe had high praise for his junior running back.
“Zak doesn’t get tired,” he said after the game. “He doesn’t come off the field — football, basketball, whatever sport he’s playing, he never comes off. … He’s a natural runner. Last year, we poked a little fun at him because he broke a lot of long runs and he just never scored — he got caught from behind. Not tonight.”
Grigg, who celebrated his 17th birthday Friday, was quick to credit his offensive line.
“In the first half, I only had, like, 13 yards. I knew I had to do something different, so I just followed the blockers on the line and they did what they had to do,” he said. “(They offensive line was) phenomenal. With that group in front of me, I’ll have the best season I’ve ever had.”
Grigg finished the game with 135 yards on 13 carries, to go with his first touchdown of the year.
The line play, on both sides of the ball, was highlighted as being of great importance before the game by both coaching staffs.
“Whoever blocks better and tackles better is going to win 90% of football games,” Hoppe said before kickoff.
Soda Springs co-head coach Scott Gambles said his team needed to be the aggressor in order to win, but echoed Hoppe’s sentiments.
“We’re going to have to block better (than American Falls) and tackle better — that’s really what the game is about,” he said pre-game.
Both coaches may have had a point, and American Falls held the advantage in both categories.
The Beavers dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but especially on the offensive side where they opened lanes for five runs of more than 20 yards — including Grigg’s score and a 60-yard TD scamper by fullback Adrian Carvajal.
That line play also gave Brower enough time to connect with senior wide receiver Austin Adair on a pair of touchdowns.
American Falls was also the more secure tacklers, breaking several tackles on the way to those long scoring runs while preventing the Cardinals from returning the favor.
Hoppe was especially pleased with his linebackers.
“I am thrilled to death with our linebackers — like, they impressed me even,” he said.
He called senior Michael Torres the team-leader and the squad’s driving force, and said junior Ty Smith played while under the weather and “suffered through every play,” while leading the defensive effort.
But the coach was especially pleased with freshman linebacker Thorne Rose, saying the youngster was always around the ball, adding that he was, at times, not sure if Rose was even supposed to be there or was just expertly reading the offense.
The entire defensive effort, which included a first-quarter interception from junior Brian Lopez, was what Hoppe was hoping to see.
“I would have liked to get the shutout, but you’ve got to throw the backups in at the end of the game and that’s what happens sometimes,” he said.
The shutout hopes came to an end in the final minute of the game, when Soda Springs quarterback Cooper Thompson scrambled for a 36-yard touchdown.
The Cardinals will lick their wounds before preparing for a visit from Ririe.
American Falls will get right back work as they prepare to host rival Aberdeen. Hoppe said the preparation for next Friday begins Saturday.
“I already told them — I’ve been telling them all summer — if we go 1-8, that one win had better be Aberdeen,” he said, adding that he cannot recall the last time American Falls beat Aberdeen but noted that last year’s showdown finished in a tight 12-8 game. “I think we’ve got a better team than we did last year, so we’ve got a real shot.”
As for what the birthday boy, Grigg, has planned? He said he is hoping to get a late dinner at Texas Roadhouse then get back to the (virtual) gridiron and finish his night with some NCAA Football 25.