'A pack of Tigers'

SPIRIT LAKE - At 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Timberlake High junior Preston Rhodes was deemed too small to continue his football career as a linebacker, so he was switched to cornerback this season.

No problem. On a rainy Saturday afternoon, Rhodes played quite big - actually, the entire Timberlake defense came up huge on this day - as the Tigers edged the Weiser Wolverines 15-13 in a state 3A football quarterfinal at Van Tuinstra Memorial Field.

"That young man has really grown," Timberlake coach Roy Albertson said of Rhodes. "He had never played DB before, and didn't think he'd ever be good at it.

“He thought he’d be a one-way player (at running back),” Albertson added. “And, by golly, he’s turning some great plays on defense now. He’s really stepped up that part of his game. On a day where we’re not going to get a lot of rushing yardage, he turned his attention to defense, and did a tremendous job.”

Timberlake (6-4) will play host to top-ranked Fruitland (10-0) in the state semifinals Saturday at noon. It will be the first semifinal appearance since 2007 for Timberlake, which is in the playoffs for the 10th straight year.

“I’ve always been a linebacker, but my size just isn’t growing the same as everybody else,” Rhodes said. “So he put me at DB, and I’m catching on.”

Neither Timberlake nor Weiser (5-5) mustered much offense — only one of the four touchdowns was scored by the offense — as the defenses pretty much clogged each other’s run-oriented attack. Timberlake held Weiser to 31 total yards and two first downs in the first half. Weiser ran the ball better in the second half and dominated possession, but the Tigers came up with the big plays to stop the Wolverines short.

“It was defense,” Albertson said. “A young defense. Eleven guys playing on the same heartbeat, and making plays. They’ve got a good offense; they’re tough to stop. The conditions weren’t the greatest, but right across the board, every one of those kids played their heart out, defensive stand after defensive stand. Mike Menti is my new defensive coordinator this year, and he’s turned those young bucks into a pack of Tigers.”

In addition to Rhodes, Albertson also praised several other defenders — including sophomore twin defensive tackles Bryan Mason and Greg Mason, linebackers Forrest Herring, Keegan Scott and Daniel Buck, and defensive end Mason Cramer.

Weiser drove deep into Timberlake territory to open the third quarter, but quarterback Brady DeYoung fumbled and Cramer scooped the ball up and raced 85 yards for a touchdown, extending the Tigers’ lead to 15-7.

But Weiser’s Justin Roberts returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards, and the Wolverines scored three plays later on Dustin Kistenmacher’s 3-yard run with 5:47 left in the third. Weiser went for two, but a screen to the wide receiver was dropped.

Weiser drove to the Timberlake 25 early in the fourth quarter. Receiver K.C. Thompson got behind the Tiger defense and was open near the goal line, but Rhodes ranged back to break up the pass.

On the next play, Jose Perez’s 43-yard field goal try into the wind fell just short.

Weiser got the ball back and marched to the Timberlake 5, but Perez’s 22-yard field goal try drifted wide right with 6:01 remaining.

That proved to be Weiser’s last real chance to score. The Wolverines got the ball back twice after that, but once had to start at their 1 after Cramer’s punt rolled dead there.

Weiser had to go to the air late, but finished just 3 of 16 for 46 yards with an interception. And Rhodes knocked the Wolverines’ last two passes to the ground to finish off the game.

“We came out in the second half and played much better and had some chances and just couldn’t quite finish it,” said Weiser coach John Shrolec Jr., whose squad had beaten Timberlake in the first round each of the past two seasons — both at Spirit Lake. “They did a good job; they did the things they needed to do to get us. Give Timberlake credit. They did a nice job on defense defending who we were. This is their style of game, and their style of field, and it played into their hands a little bit.”

Timberlake ran only 14 plays and gained 44 yards after intermission, but it didn’t matter on a day where the Tiger defense shined. Weiser outgained Timberlake 205-147 in total yards. The Tigers passed for just 6 yards.

Scott’s 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter gave Timberlake a 3-0 lead.

Moments later, Rhodes was fighting for extra yardage when Roberts stripped him of the ball and rambled 73 yards to give Weiser a 7-3 lead.

But Rhodes redeemed himself on the ensuing kickoff, running through a big gap up the middle, then angling right to finish off an 85-yard return for a TD.

“They stood me up and I was fighting for yards,” Rhodes said of the fumble. “Two guys held me up and one guy ripped at it, and I should have went down, but I gave it up.”

On the kickoff return, “I was back there thinking, I need to do something good here to make up for that.”

Weiser 0 7 6 0 — 13

Timberlake 0 9 6 0 — 15

TL — FG Keegan Scott 23

Wei — Justin Roberts 73 fumble return (Jose Perez kick)

TL — Preston Rhodes 85 kickoff return (run failed)

TL — Mason Cramer 85 fumble return (run failed)

Wei — Dustin Kistenmacher 3 run (pass failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Wei, Kistenmacher 13-39, Roberts 10-54, Hickman 13-36, DeYoung 8-18, Williamson 1-0, Grothaus 3-12. TL, Buck 15-52, Rhodes 7-24, Reese 3-12, Condon 5-36, Rice 5-3, Scott 2-6, Herring 3-8.

PASSING — Wei, DeYoung 3-16-1, 46. TL, Rice, 1-5-0-6.

RECEIVING — Wei, Roberts 1-15, Kistenmacher 1-27, Daniel 1-4. TL, Rhodes 1-6.