Bear Lake football team shuts out Salmon 46-0 in home opener

MONTPELIER — Friday night's game perfectly showcased Bear Lakes' potential for this season.

The Bears turned the tide after two tough losses on the road, shutting out Salmon 46-0 at Bear Lake High School.

It was redemption for the Bears during their home opener after road losses to North and South Fremont. The Bears seized the opportunity on Friday night with nearly 500 yards of total offense and delivered an impressive performance.

The game began with the Salmon Savages receiving the kickoff, but Bear Lake’s defense made a quick stop, forcing a turnover on downs.

With this early momentum, Bear Lake's offense had a 53-yard drive that ended in sophomore quarterback Jack Hulme connecting with junior Kaden Andersen for a 10-yard touchdown. The Bears were just getting started.

Salmon struggled to respond and Bear Lake capitalized with a 13-yard touchdown run by junior Kaleb Wiscombe. The Bears failed the two-point conversion, bringing the score to 13-0.

An interception by Bears senior Ammon Topham set up another touchdown pass from Hulme, this one to sophomore Broxton Birch, extending Bear Lake's lead to 20-0.

Bear Lake's offense continued to shine with a 65-yard drive, highlighted by a deep 45-yard pass to junior Austin Anderton.

Anderton with his speed escaped several tackles to complete the play with a touchdown.

Salmon’s mishandling of a snap later led to a safety, pushing Bear Lake’s lead to 30-0.

Bear Lake continued to dominate in a slower second half, with touchdowns from junior Tony Nomikos and senior Treyson Thornton to cap off the 46-0 win.

The Bears dominated on both sides of the ball, giving them confidence going into Friday's home game against the Snake River Panthers. The contest will start at 7 p.m. at Bear Lake High School.