Missed opportunities

SPIRIT LAKE — What if?

What if the Timberlake Tigers had scored on their first two possessions in Saturday’s state 3A semifinal against Homedale, rather than turning the ball over on downs each time deep in Trojans territory?

What if the Tigers, who had just scored and had the momentum in the fourth quarter, had managed to get the ball back from Homedale, with a chance to drive for the tying touchdown?

What if?

Those are questions Timberlake will have to live with in the offseason, after a bounceback season ended with a 35-20 loss to Homedale on Saturday afternoon at Van Tuinstra Memorial Field.

“We gave it all we had,” Timberlake junior quarterback Joey Follini said. “We put it in the red zone a few times, we just couldn’t punch it in. That was pretty frustrating. We knew we should have been right with them the entire game. We missed a lot of opportunities to score.”

Homedale (11-0) advances to the state championship game next Saturday vs. Sugar-Salem at Middleton High.

Timberlake, which advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2012, finishes 7-4.

Welcomed by a field partially covered in snow, Homedale leaned on its running game, specifically senior Hayden Kincheloe, who packed the ball 43 times for 301 yards and three touchdowns.

But the play that ultimately decided the game was a rollout pass on fourth and 6 in its own territory, that helped Homedale maintain possession.

To backtrack: Moments earlier, Timberlake had just scored on a third and 23 from the Trojans’ 37, when Chase Gardom made a nice leaping catch of a Joey Follini pass near the sideline at the Homedale 12, then turned and ran into the end zone. The kick failed, leaving the Tigers trailing 28-20 with 7:45 remaining.

Homedale started at its 10 after the kickoff. Kincheloe broke a 31-yard run, but moments later the Trojans were faced with fourth and 6 on their 44, with some 4 minutes remaining.

Rather than punt it back to Timberlake, Homedale went for it. Quarterback Daniel Uranga rolled right, and the left-hander threw down the right sideline to Nelson Lomeli, who had a step on the defender, and made a diving catch at the Timberlake 29 — a 27-yard gain.

“You practice things, and you practice things, and sometimes you’re like ‘You know what? Now’s the time,’” 10th-year Homedale head coach Matt Holtry said. “It just felt right, and we went for it. We thought about (punting), but the old quote, ‘You don’t fear failure; you attack success,’ and that’s what we lived by in that moment. They were getting momentum on offense, and we wanted to keep the ball out of their hands, for sure.”

The sound of air going out on the Timberlake sideline after that play was all but literal.

“I can’t believe that he went for it on fourth down where he did,” Timberlake coach Roy Albertson said. “He knew that we were going to be looking for a run ... that was the biggest play in the ballgame.”

Nine plays — all runs — later, Kincheloe powered into the end zone from 4 yards out for the clinching touchdown with just 18.7 seconds remaining.

“Our kids laid it out all on the field today,” Albertson said. “We could have done some things better early in the game ... if we score, we slow ’em down.”

On the game’s first possession, Timberlake drove the ball deep into Homedale territory, where on fourth and 8 at the 15, Follini scrambled but came up inches short of the first down. Homedale went 92 yards in nine plays, Kincheloe rumbling the final 10 for a 7-0 lead.

Back came Timberlake, helped by a 33-yard pass-and-run from Follini to Gardom. On fourth and 6 from the 7, Follini was chased out of the pocket and rushed into an incompletion.

Homedale drove for another score, Jake Collett scooting in from 3 yards out and it was 14-0 with 9:41 left in the half.

Timberlake got on the board when Follini kept the ball on the option and dashed 46 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-6.

Following an exchange of turnovers, Homedale scored just before the half on a reverse pass from Spencer Fisher to Carson Brown from 1 yard out, making it 21-6. One play earlier Kincheloe, also a left-hander, hooked up with Drew Deal on a 30-yard halfback pass on third and 2 from the Timberlake 31.

Timberlake cut it to 21-14 on the third play of the third quarter on Jeremy McLemore’s 15-yard run. But Homedale answered with a six-play, 70-yard drive, Kincheloe running the final 12 yards to make it 28-14.

Homedale rushed for 348 yards and outgained Timberlake 529-360 in total yards. Homedale ran 71 plays, Timberlake 50.

“We knew that their tackles and guards were very athletic, and moved well,” Timberlake defensive coordinator Kelly Amos said. “And that running back is such a physical runner. They did exactly what we expected from them. The problem is, they just kept hammering on us.”

Holtry said the snowy conditions slowed down Homedale’s passing game a bit, but he also praised Timberlake.

“Their coaches did an outstanding job preparing their kids,” Holtry said of Timberlake. “They made some adjustments during the game; man, those kids played hard, and their coaches did a good job getting their kids in good positions to make plays.”

Timberlake, which missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2002, did most of its offensive damage on the edges, with fly sweeps and option runs. Follini ran for 125 yards on 16 carries, keeping several plays alive through scrambing.

“That’s a phenomenal athlete; you have to tip your hat to that kid,” Holtry said of Follini. “Wow. There are reasons teams make it to the state semifinals, and he is definitely one of those reasons they’re here.”

“We’ve been able to move the ball this year on just about everybody we’ve played,” Albertson said. “We just didn’t want to get in a track meet with them.”

Homedale 7 14 7 7 — 35

Timberlake 0 6 8 6 — 20

First quarter

Home — Mason Kincheloe 10 run (Nelson Lomeli kick), 5:13

Second quarter

Home — Jake Collett 6 run (Lomeli kick), 9:41

TL — Joey Follini 46 run (kick failed), 8:34

Home — Carson Brown 1 pass from Spencer Fisher (Lomeli kick), :14

Third quarter

TL — Jeremy McLemore 15 run (Follini run), 2:42

Home — Kincheloe 12 run (Lomeli kick), :26

Fourth quarter

TL — Chase Gardom 37 pass from Follini (kick failed), 7:45

Home — Kinchelowe 4 run (Lomeli kick), :18

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Home, Kincheloe 43-301, Collett 6-14, Deal 2-34, Uranga 1-(minus 1). TL, Gardom 3-0, McLemore 6-36, Powell 8-29, Wilfong 6-47, Follini 16-125, Follini 16-125, Larson 1-1, Boesl 1-(minus 1).

PASSING — Home, Uranga 11-17-1-130, Kincheloe 1-1-0-30, Fisher 1-1-0-1. TL, Follini 4-9-0-123.

RECEIVING — Home, Brown 8-75, Deal 3-49, Lomeli 2-37. TL, Kluss 1-13, Gardom 3-110.