NEWPORT — Before the 2026 season started, Priest River senior running back Colton Kuprienko had a message for his head coach Alex Zepeda. 

"He didn't care if we lost every other game this season; he just wanted to beat Newport," Zepeda recalls his star running back telling him. 

Kuprienko, like the other 12 years of Spartans before him, had never experienced a win over the team's cross-state rivals. Yet as the clock drained in the team's rivalry game, the Spartans were tantalizingly close to ending the drought, trailing 7-6 with two minutes. 

On their final offensive drive, Zepeda remembered the words of his senior and fed him. As it turns out, Kuprienko was set to make good on his promise as he willed his Spartans down the field and capped off the drive with a late 8-yard touchdown, sealing a 14-7 Priest River victory over Newport on Friday night. 

"Big win for the kids with Newport. It's not a league game; it has no implications on the playoffs or anything like that for us," Zepeda said. "I'm just super happy that we were able to get this one, not just for the kids, but for the community. I know we all wanted that one really bad." 

While the Spartans' offense finished off the game, it was their dominant defense that kept them in it. Zepeda said Andy Griesemer, the team's leader on the offensive and defensive line, was a standout on Friday night.   

Priest River's defense has now only allowed 14 points in the team's last three games. Zepeda credited his defensive coordinator, Brandon Goins, for another impeccable game plan that snuffed out the Grizzlies' offense. 

"This defense is nasty. They come to hit, and they tackle well," Zepeda said. "Defense wins championships, and the cool thing is that offensively we have four new starting linemen and a new quarterback, so they're really giving us time to figure it out." 

On offense, the Spartans were riddled with mistakes throughout the first half. Priest River turned the ball over on downs in Grizzly territory and fumbled twice in the contest with Newport. 

Kuprienko notched both of the Spartans' touchdowns en route to totaling 117 rushing yards. Priest River also got 31 yards on just four rushes from Nate Fegert. 

Spartans' quarterback Jacob Best went 7-11 for 105 yards, a large chunk of which came on a 45-yard screen pass to Layton Goins, which set up Priest River's first score in the third quarter. Goins finished with four catches for 82 yards in the Spartans' victory. 

"I'm proud of how the boys kept fighting," Zepeda said. "It was one of those gut-wrenching games where you just have to keep fighting through and definitely super happy with the results." 

The non-league victory is Priest River's third in a row and lifts them to 3-1 on the season. The Spartans will take their momentum 11 minutes back home for a Central Idaho league matchup against the 0-5 Orofino Maniacs on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. 

Newport 0 7 0 0 7 

Priest River 0 0 6 8 14