PR Sports

At Arimo, the Salmon Savages stopped the Marsh Valley Eagles when it mattered Friday and held on for a 20-14 overtime win in the first round of the state playoffs.

Going back and forth all game, the Savages tied the game at 14 with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter when Riley Sessions hit Derek Olson for a 14-yard touchdown.

When Marsh Valley went for the game-winning kick, Salmon blocked the field goal and sent the game into overtime.

The teams played a Kansas City style overtime. Each team was given four downs to score from the opponents’ 10-yard line.

The Salmon offense opened the overtime. Riley Sessions scored on a 10-yard quarterback draw on Salmon’s second play to put the Savages ahead 20-14.

After three plays, Marsh Valley faced fourth and one from the 1-yard line. Salmon came up with the stop on the goal line, stuffing Dylan Bybee — who had torched Salmon for 195 yards rushing — to hold on to the win.

“We stopped them at fourth and about 2 feet,” Salmon coach Ken Miner said. “We got a stop at the goal line there.”

Sessions completed 13-of-28 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Miner said Austin Nooner, who caught three passes for 94 yards, was a difference maker.

“Austin Nooner had a real nice night for us,” he said. “The whole team played with a lot of heart tonight. I’m proud of them.”

Salmon (5-4) will face Shelley (9-0) next week in the second round of the playoffs in a rematch of last season’s semifinals. Last year, Salmon beat Shelley 25-15 at Holt Arena, then beat Fruitland to win the school’s first state title.