Weiser takes care of Kellogg
Advances to quarterfinals in Timberlake
By Ray Rodriguez
Argus Observer
Sunday, October 28, 2007 3:07 AM PDT
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| Weiser running back Trent Winegar (4) breaks through the tackle of a Kellogg defender during the first half of their 3A state playoff game Saturday at Walter Johnson Memorial Field in Weiser. The Wolverines won the game 48-26 and will travel to Timberlake Saturday. |
Weiser - Many doubted the Weiser football team, but Saturday they shut their naysayers up.
Playing without three key players, the Wolverines overcame the odds and put up 530 yards offense in their 48-26 win over Kellogg in state playoff action in Weiser.
“This showed that no one guy is indispensable and they showed they had heart and desire,” Weiser coach John Srholec said. “These guys never stopped fighting. I think you saw a lot of guys step to the table and do some really good things.”
In a game which Weiser seemingly had under control, things got a little tense in the early stages of the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats were down by as much as 34-12 in the fourth when Jeremiah Big Spring caught an 11-yard jump-ball pass from quarterback Ty Ketchum. After a two-point conversion, Kellogg was down 34-20 with 11:30 left.
On Weiser’s next drive, the Wildcats recovered a fumble and regained possession on Weiser’s 12-yard line.
On the next play, Kellogg’s Cole Lewis rumbled 11-yards to make the score 34-26 with 10:07 left.
Kellogg decided to go for two points, but Lewis was stopped and the Wolverines were hanging by a thread.
But Weiser did not waver.
The Wolverines had possession on their own 23-yard line with 10:04 remaining in the contest.
Four plays later, Winegar took a handoff 11-yards to the end zone and Weiser was up 41-26.
The Wildcats had three more possessions, but could do nothing with them.
Weiser forced a three and out, Gavin Eisenbarth snagged an interception and Kenny Branstetter iced the contest with another pick with 2:36 left in the game.
In the first half, the Wolverines scored on three of their seven possessions, ran 19 plays and also committed three turnovers.
Brandon Richins kicked off the scoring for Weiser on its opening drive, as they used five plays for 64 yards and 2:06 off the clock. Richins ran a curl in the end zone and Eisenbarth laid a bullet in his open arms for an 11-yard touchdown and Weiser was up 7-0.
Kellogg pulled to within 7-6 after a 1-yard touchdown by Ketchum, and took a 12-7 lead after a 10-yard scamper by Lewis with 11:06 left in the second quarter.
Weiser regained the lead with 10:07 left in the half after a 64-yard catch and run by Ethan Kohl and increased the lead to 20-12 with a 61-yard run by Colton Chandler.
With 4:34 left in the half, Kellogg used over four minutes and ran nine plays and had the ball on Weiser’s 2-yard line with 28 ticks left.
On fourth down, Ketchum attempted a fade pass to Big Spring but Kohl leaped in the air and swatted the ball away to preserve the Weiser lead.
Chandler rushed 10 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns, Trent Winegar added a pair of scores for the Wolverines, which rattled off 316 yards rushing.
“We just didn’t let all the other stuff off the field bother us and we just came and played football,” Eisenbarth who went 4-of-11 for 163 yards and three touchdowns said.
Weiser (8-1 overall) next plays at 2 p.m. PST this Saturday.
