PR Sports

POCATELLO – Salmon receiver Trey Infanger has all the accolades a football player can earn. He was a first-team all-state and first-team all-area member as a junior last year, leading his team to the first state title in school history. And he will undoubtedly be on both teams again this year.

But for all the gaudy numbers he’s put up, one team always had his number – Shelley.

That was until Thursday night.

Infanger scored all of his team’s 27 points at Holt Arena in nearly every way imaginable in a one-point loss to Shelley.

After Shelley opened the game with two plays for a touchdown, he returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for six points.

When Shelley took a 14-6 lead, Infanger returned a punt 59 yards for another six points.

When Shelley failed on a fourth-down attempt at midfield, Infanger hauled in a postcard-perfect fade pass for a 10-yard touchdown reception. And then he kicked the extra point.

And when Shelley threatened to put the game away in the fourth quarter, he picked off two interceptions, the first of which set up his 55-yard touchdown reception.

Just when you think that’s all he could possibly do, he runs in the two-point conversion on an end around to bring Salmon within one point.

There’s only way two ways Infanger didn’t score Thursday night. 1) By rushing touchdown, and that’s difficult when you’re only carry came on the two-point conversion. 2) Field goal. And if McCade Bono hadn’t swatted down a Riley Sessions pass late in the fourth quarter, he just might have done that too.

“He has got a golden heart,” Salmon coach Ken Miner said. “What can I say? That’s a kid I’m going to miss. He’s the backbone of our team.”

Shelley coach Dwight Richins admits he wasn’t going to keep Infanger down in the passing game for a fourth consecutive time. In the previous three meetings over the past two years, Shelley’s held Infanger to seven catches, including none in this year’s regular season meeting.

While Infanger caught five balls for 90 yards and two touchdowns, it was his special teams skills – he also downed a punt at the Shelley 3-yard line – that irked Richins.

“He’s going to get something on offense,” Richins said. “We planned on that. You kind of forget how dangerous he is on special teams. That was the tough stuff to swallow.”

Richins said he never planned to kick to Infanger. Two of the three times Shelley did, he scored. But after the game, and with his team advancing to the semifinals, one thing is certain about Richins. He’s glad he’ll never have to face Infanger again.

“He’s definitely one of the best football players in the state,” Richins said. “A lot of teams have good players. But he’s a big-play threat everywhere.”