NAMPA, Idaho — Early in the first half of Thursday's Idaho Horsemen game against their rivals, the Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks, middle linebacker Brennyn Dunn sacked Skyhawks quarterback Kordell Provchy. After the play, Dunn picked up the ball, threw it into the crowd and fans ran to collect the ball that would become a souvenir.
It's something rarely seen in a college football or NFL game but happens constantly at a Horsemen game.
“(Fans) feel like they’re a part of it," Said Chris Reynolds, the owner, head coach, and general manager of the team. "They get to meet the players and get to know the players. In the outdoor game you’re so far away from the game, so it’s almost like hockey, you’re hitting against the walls and they’re enjoying it.”
The field is about half the size of a traditional football field. Each team fields eight men at a time.
Because of the smaller space on the field, it's faster, but that also means more points. Walls with padding line the perimeter of the field and while they stop players from ending up in the arena seats, they also make for huge sideline collision plays.
One of the most unique aspects of the game is how close fans can get. During the game, players and coaches can talk to fans.
“It gives an opportunity to be personal with these players you know giving high fives and things like that," Said Chazz Silva. He's been a Horsemen fan since their inaugural 2019 season. "You know the beauty of the league is that even our opponent does the same thing. Even after a good game or what not, what’s said and done they high five the fans a lot of them.”
The team's season is four games in and they sit at 3-1. After their 74-24 routing of the Skyhawks on Thursday night they feel like they can bring back a championship to Nampa.
“We’re going to the championship and it started with this game right here," said Rashad Flanders, who plays all over the field for the team. "We win from here on out and we have home field advantage for the championship. So y’all gotta make sure y’all come show some love and support. Pack the stadium.”
To learn more about the Horsemen or to find out how to get tickets, visit their website here.
