Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Rosalia football
For high school football in the state of Idaho there is a rule that if a team is ahead by 45 points or more at halftime, the game is called.
Thus, leading up to a home matchup against independent Rosalia Friday night, the Troy Trojans had completed three previous games at halftime. Only one team had scored against them.
This is what Rosalia (3-2) was up against last Friday 11 miles outside of Moscow.
But on a night which the scoreboard didn’t work and fans and players questioned a lack of holding calls, the Spartans kept the game going into the third quarter, losing 52-6.
It all began with a quick Troy (5-0) score then a Trojan interception of a pass by Rosalia’s Craig Nelson.
Troy took over again and after a big sack from the Spartans’ Eli Richardson, Trojan Zach Bafus broke loose on a 40-yard run which ended with a horse-collar tackle call on Nelson.
On the next play, the Trojans scored as talk on the sidelines questioned the lack of holding calls.
One Troy fan sitting on a flatbed at the corner of the field with two small dogs suggested it was just high school ball, to let them play.
Nonetheless, with only the game clock and quarter lights working on the scoreboard, Troy crossed the goal line again to make it 18-0.
On the next Spartans possession, Rosalia went for it on a fourth down, quarterback Ryan Maley completing a throw to Nelson for what would’ve been a first down before Nelson fumbled.
Troy then drove again, pushing closer to the Rosalia endzone while, between plays, the Spartans’ Clay Shelton and Nelson talked to a referee, saying to watch for holding. Shelton relayed the number of a certain Trojan to keep an eye on.
Troy soon scored again and led 25-0 with 9:33 left in the second quarter.
With an extra point kick from their Egyptian exchange student, they led 26-0.
However, Shelton fielded the ensuing kickoff and took it 85 yards for a touchdown, making the Spartans only the second team to score on Troy this year.
When the Trojans got the ball again, flags flew.
“Thanks ref,” said Shelton to the referee he’d spoken to before.
The ref responded.
“No, I meant thanks for watching,” Shelton clarified.
Two plays later Troy scored again on a 12-yard pass for 32-6.
The scoreboard still didn’t show it.
“That makes it Trojans 32, Spartans 0,” called the announcer over the loudspeaker. “Six, six, excuse me.”
The Spartans took the ball once again and got a drive going before Troy intercepted a Maley pass and scored.
It was 46-6 with 2:34 left.
Rosalia trailed by 40. Five more points and the game would end at the half.
Quickly, the Spartans found themselves with a third down and five on their own 6-yard line with 33 seconds left in the half.
After a completion from Maley to Shelton for 18 yards and a flag, they were able to punt to escape the danger.
Moments later the second quarter ended and the Spartans gathered in a line and began to walk to the middle of the field.
Was it over? Were they lining up to shake hands?
Wasn’t the rule 45 points?
It was, it turned out the Spartans were just walking together across the field to go to the locker rooms up at the school.
So Rosalia had made it to a second half against Troy.
In the third quarter, the Spartans began with a successful onside kick.
Trying to start a drive, looking to gain yardage, Nelson took a handoff virtually horizontal to one sideline. An opening was hard to find. On the next play, he ran to the other side, going again horizontal looking for an opening in the Troy defense.
Rosalia turned the ball over on downs. Troy then broke a quick long run then a short touchdown for 52-6 and game over.
Moments later, even the snack bar was closed.
Rosalia will play next at home Friday for Homecoming vs. Elgin (Ore.)
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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