Badger football: Still undefeated 7-0

KELLOGG — The Badger football team remains undefeated after stomping the Kellogg Wildcats 25-0 on Oct. 7.

The game needed to be a statement win — and it was — just not for the host Wildcats.

The 3A Badgers rolled into town with a 6-0 record, but little fanfare to accompany that success.

Kellogg — coming off just their second loss of the season, a tight battle with Frenchtown — needed to get a big win to help them jockey for position in the 2A rankings.

Bonners was having none of it.

After taking the Wildcats’ best shot on their first possession (a turnover on downs inside the Badger 10-yard-line), Bonners Ferry senior do-everything player Blake Rice went to work.

A blend of option-style rushing battered Kellogg’s defensive front and kept them on the field for long stretches.

Despite raking up the yards, the Badgers only held an 8-0 lead at halftime, but they quickly extended it to 15-0 in the second half.

Kellogg seemed to find some success with their own rushing attack — much of it a combination of seniors Riply Luna and Daeton Bauer — but couldn’t find a balanced approach with their passing game as Bonners routinely forced Luna out of the pocket.

The Badgers had a bye last week and play away at Timberlake on Friday at 7 p.m. Timberlake is 4-2. If the Badgers beat Timberlake, they will advance to state for the first time since 2015.

Since the Intermountain League only included Bonners Ferry and Timberlake, Friday will be the district match with the winner named league champion.

The league gets to send one team to state, head coach Travis Hinthorn said, but there are three at-large spots based on Maxpreps.com rankings and Timberlake and Bonners Ferry are high enough in the rankings to get in.

So whoever wins Friday’s game will be league champ and host the first round of the playoffs. Whoever loses will make the playoffs and will probably travel.