AF ready for next step

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kang@journalnet.com

With a win over Snake River during the regular season and a share of the 3A Fifth District title, American Falls already can boast of a fairly successful campaign.

The Beavers, who earlier this decade went three seasons without winning a single game, could carve an even more illustrious spot in the program's history if they defeat Salmon at 2 p.m. Saturday at home in the state quarterfinals. American Falls hasn't advanced to the semifinals since the 1990s.

But American Falls coach Jess Johnson sees no point in harping on that. History cannot help shove aside Salmon's linemen in the trenches. It cannot help the Beavers churn out yards.

"I don't really talk about that," Johnson said. "These are things that are exciting, but we just talk about 'play hard,' 'play hard on this down,' 'play hard for each other.' We'll let the chips fall where they may."

The way Salmon (7-2) has matched up against Fifth District teams this season, that likely means another low-scoring affair. The Savages lost 6-0 to Marsh Valley and defeated Snake River twice, never scoring more than 25 points.

American Falls (6-3) hasn't exactly lit up the scoreboard lately, either. The Beavers defeated South Fremont 20-0 in the first round of the playoffs last week, but Johnson said his team still doesn't sustain drives as well as he would like it to.

"We haven't been too pleased with it," Johnson said. "We haven't moved the ball like we want to. We're going to have to show that we can move the ball better, that's for sure."

That perhaps makes it easier for Johnson and his co-head coach Chris Parish, whom Johnson calls invaluable, to focus on Saturday's game without getting too distracted by what's at stake.

"I don't ever think of us as being a favorite," Johnson said. "We're going to have to work for everything we get."

By Kelvin Ang

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