As a professional sports writer, words aren't normally supposed to fail me like they did Friday evening.

But how could words do any justice to what took place over the course of 2 1/2 hours in Rupert? How do you put into words everything featured in a Jerome-Minico state semifinal football game that will go down as one of the best games the state of Idaho has ever produced?

It was one of those rare nights where you just do the best you can and let the ebb and flow, the defining moments, atmosphere and emotions speak for themselves.

With so much game-week hype, there was bound to be one element to fall flat when it came time to settle things on the field. But on Friday we found that perfect storm. Both sets of fans, both teams and both coaching staffs brought their A game.

"This was the greatest atmosphere in a football game that I've ever been a part of," said Minico running back Skylar "Poke" Morgan.

It wasn't supposed to be a David vs. Goliath type of match, but everything ended up tilted in Minico's favor before the game.

The Spartans were hosting their third straight playoff game, while Jerome was on the road for the third straight week.

Jerome was without Jake Lammers, a potential NCAA Division I prospect at quarterback and Class 4A player of the year candidate, due to a broken arm and had to rely on 5-foot-9 junior Cameron Stauffer in his stead. Contrarily, Minico had Morgan, its D-1 prospect and POY candidate, available.

Minico had the ball at the Jerome 4 with a little less than four minutes left and a 38-35 lead, owning four downs with which to put the game away against a defense that hadn't stopped Morgan all night (he finished with 40 carries for 252 yards and four touchdowns).

Somehow Jerome stuffed Morgan on all four of those downs.

Somehow Stauffer orchestrated a 98-yard drive in the final 2:30, much of it on his legs, with just one time-out at his disposal.

Somehow the undersized but highly-elusive quarterback's final prayer of a pass got through double coverage, and somehow Ross Hillier came down with it in the end zone.

Somehow, in the course of four minutes, Jerome - no upstart, mind you - had stolen victory from the region's Class 4A power, on its home field.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Jerome pulled it off. But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

Tears of complete devastation played upon the faces of Morgan, of receiver Landon Barnes (who caught 10 passes for 146 yards), and of linebacker Jordan Reed as well as countless other Spartans that were left wondering how on earth a trip to the state championship game slipped away from them so cruelly.

On the other sideline, Hillier, Kevin Williams (who caught three TD passes) and innumerable Tigers had tears as well, but they were the tears of combined celebration and joyous shock.

In short, neither team could wholly believe what had just happened.

Jerome coach Gary Krumm at least knew how the final drive, the stuff of every budding quarterback's dreams, came about.

"That's the reason we put in (the Tony Franklin offense)," said Krumm. "We never would have been able to do that with our old offense."

It's tough not to feel for Morgan, Barnes and the rest of the best Minico football team in the school's history just as it's hard not to be glad for a Jerome squad that had to overcome so much to pull it off.

Good luck finding a movie producer who'd believe that Friday's game actually played out that way - the sequence of events is far too perfect even for a Hollywood script.

The only thing that could have possibly made Friday's game any more compelling would have been if there was a state championship trophy given to the winner.

Jerome will get its chance this week, when it takes on Hillcrest at Holt Arena on Friday night at 8:45. Even if that game is close, and even if Jerome takes home its first title in 22 years, it will be nigh impossible to trump everything that transpired at Bill Matthews Field.

Then again, such a special night as Friday would have been thought nigh impossible until it happened.

David Bashore may be reached at 208-735-3230 or dbashore@magicvalley.com.