BOISE — Just as Rigby did in its upset win over Rocky Mountain in the previous round, the Trojans pummeled their opponent on the ground in an emphatic way.

Led by running backs Jerzey Duenes and Amani Morel, Rigby won its fourth state title in the last six seasons, defeating Eagle 41-21 in the 6A state championship Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium.

The ground game was excellent throughout, but really took the game over in the fourth quarter when they needed it most. The Mustangs led 21-20 at the beginning of the fourth quarter when a weather delay halted the contest. Eagle (9-3) had taken the lead just before the end of the third quarter, gaining momentum on their sideline.

With lightning in the area, both teams were sent to the locker room. A 35-minute delay ensued before play was resumed. And when it did, Rigby (11-1) took command. Just a few plays after the delay ended, quarterback Jacob Flowers hit Kasyn Thomas for a 25-yard touchdown. The Trojans led 28-21 after a successful 2-point conversion.

The Mustangs were forced to punt on their next series as quarterback Austin Ramsey was sacked on third down. The Trojans took advantage and extended their lead 35-21 after Morel ran for a 30-yard touchdown, breaking multiple tackles in the process and diving for the pylon.

With 6:20 remaining in the game, time was running out for the Mustangs. On a must-score drive, Eagle turned it over on downs on its own 43-yard line with 3:43 left. Rigby burned out most of the clock on the ground, adding another rushing score from Duenes to lead 41-21 with one minute left.

While the final scoreline may indicate a comfortable win for the Trojans, Eagle had them right where it wanted at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

“Anytime you get something like that, you get a momentum switcher,” Eagle head coach James Cluphf said about the weather delay. “It definitely happened there. You see it in a lot of games, it happened in the Super Bowl one year. That changed the momentum that we had going.”

The Trojans totaled 335 yards on the ground. Duenes had 190 and Morel had 116, combining for three touchdowns.

“That’s something they’ve done all year,” Cluphf said. “That’s their bread and butter and their foundation. They do a heck of a job of it.”

Rigby’s success on the ground eventually tired Eagle’s defense, who did everything they could to take a lead into the fourth quarter after a rocky start. The Trojans started the game with the ball and marched right down the field to take a 7-0 lead.

Then, after the Mustangs went three-and-out on their first possession, Rigby blocked the punt and returned it for a touchdown. The Trojans’ lead was 13-0 after a missed extra point.

Eagle needed a spark, which Ramsey delivered in the second quarter. On fourth down from Rigby’s 27-yard line, he hit Gavin Crawford in the end zone for a touchdown, making it 13-7 with 5:02 left in the first half.

The Mustangs were unable to score at the end of the first half, reaching the 3-yard line, but began the second with a bang. Aaron Zrno returned the opening kick 92 yards for a touchdown, putting Eagle ahead 14-13.

Rigby’s response was immediate. The Trojans pieced together a scoring drive that lasted less than three minutes, capped off by a 3-yard run by Morel. Rigby led 20-14 with 9:23 left in the third quarter.

The Mustangs jumped ahead again just before the end of the third quarter. Running back Noah Burnham took a direct snap and punched it into the end zone from a yard out. Burnham finished with 140 yards rushing.

Ramsey completed only two passes in the game. As they usually do, the Mustangs featured Burnham heavily, but when they needed to pass, the offensive line struggled to protect Ramsey. Combined with falling behind by double digits in the fourth quarter, Eagle couldn’t come up with a big play when it needed it most.

A second-place finish is the highest Eagle has had since 2011 when it last reached the championship game. Since taking over as head coach last season, Cluphf has the Mustangs knocking on the door of a state championship, following a defeat in the semifinals last season.

“It’s definitely on the right trajectory,” Cluphf said of the program. “I’m proud of our kids, especially our seniors and the leadership they showed. Resilient group, we could’ve folded up after losing the district championship the way we did. These kids are extremely resilient.”