Weiser ends season with 25-7 loss to Sugar-Salem

The Wolverines’ 2023 championship bid ended with a 25-7 loss to Sugar-Salem in a semi-final matchup played out at Holt Arena in Pocatello on Friday.

 For the second year in a row, Weiser was awarded the 3A State third-place trophy.

 The Wolverine offense had a difficult time against a stiff Digger defense that limited Weiser to 98 yards of total offense compared to Sugar-Salem’s 323 yards. The Diggers now face Teton in the championship game, the Trojans falling to the Timberwolves by a score of 49-42 in Friday’s semi-final in Homedale.

 Weiser ends the season 10-2 overall and 4-1 in conference.

 The Diggers won the coin flip and elected to defer, giving Weiser first possession to start the game, which ended in a three-and-out. 

 Sugar-Salem’s Carson Harris popped off a 25-yard run to start the Digger’s offensive series from the 20-yard line, but the drive ended at Weiser’s 7-yard line after an interception by senior Jayden Walker in the endzone.

 The Wolverines took over from their own 20, but couldn’t get the offense going and was forced to punt from the 29-yard line.

 Sugar-Salem started the ensuing series at their own 43-yard line and began chipping away on the ground, but it would take 18 plays for the Diggers to score on a Harris two-yard touchdown run to put them up 6-0 with 6:54 to go in the second quarter.

 Weiser was forced to punt again on its next offensive possession. The punt was blocked with Weiser recovering on its own 20-yard line. Harris scored three plays later on a 5-yard run. A penalty moved them back to the 23-yard line for the extra point, which failed, leaving the score 13-0 with 3:36 to go in the half.

 The rest of the second quarter remained scoreless, with Sugar-Salem starting the second half on offense.

 Weiser kicker Ryndon Olsen put the ball in the endzone for a touchback, giving the Diggers possession at their own 20-yard line. Tate Cutler found the endzone on the 11th play of the drive for a 19-yard touchdown run. A high snap resulted in Weiser covering the ball to snuff out the extra-point attempt, making it 19-0 Sugar-Salem, with 5:31 left in the third quarter.

 Jayden Walker ran the ensuing kick off to the Weiser 37-yard line to start the Wolverines’ offensive drive. Walker followed with a 5-yard run on first down, but was stuffed at the line of scrimmage on the following play. Senior Brock Spencer, however, would run for Weiser’s first, first-down of the game with a 6-yard scamper on the following play. He later scored a touchdown on a 28-yard pass from junior quarterback Kolin Cook.

 It would be the only touchdown for the Wolverines on the night, Sugar-Salem adding one more touchdown on a 13-yard pass to Tate Cutler with 7:39 left in the fourth quarter.

 Weiser was unable to generate any further offense and Sugar-Salem ultimately kneeled on the ball to claim the victory.

 The Weiser offense recorded 32 yards on the ground and 66 yards through the air, Spencer leading all receivers with 5 receptions for 60 yards. J. Walker followed with 2 catches for 17 yards.

 Kaleb Grove had 9 carries for 22 yards and J. Walker had 7 for 17 yards.

 Grove, Kash Cobb, and Luke Sarich each had 9 tackles a piece followed by Spencer who had 6 and Cook 5. J. Walker added 4 tackles.