Emotional roller coaster
Weiser’s overtime win at Payette spends a ton of emotions
By Scott Ford
Argus Observer
scottf@argusobserver.com
Saturday, September 26, 2009 11:06 PM PDT
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| Scott Ford | Argus Observer
Weiser’s Alton Funk (10) grabs a pass over a Payette defender late in the second half of the the Pirates homecoming and SRV opener. The two squads battled to a 20-20 tie in regulation, but Weiser came away with the 27-26 overtime win. |
Payette—Any time two teams come together on the gridiron and they have some history, there is always the making for a great game.
Friday in Payette, the fans got their money’s worth as the Payette Pirates and the Weiser Wolverines play a good, old-fashioned, smash-mouth, overtime thriller with Weiser coming out on top 27-26.
The game loaded with tons of emotion as these two teams opened the Snake River Valley Conference action.
Weiser carried a bag of emotions on to the field as it could still feel the sting of losing to Payette last year 20-19, and Payette’s emotion was centered around homecoming activities, and being touted as the team to beat in the SRV.
Emotions and momentum are two very powerful elements in the game of football.
It seems to be the team that captures them early will be the team that has the best chance to win.
Weiser, did just that.
Staking a 20-0 lead late into the second quarter, they owned the momentum and the emotion.
The Payette team, coaches and fans could not believe what was unfolding in the opening half of the game.
“I thought, by the way we were playing, it was going to be a 50-0 blowout,” Payette head coach Troy Gleave said.
Late in the second quarter, with only four seconds on the clock, the Pirates stole some momentum when Travis Blackwell found Tobby White for a 25-yard touchdown catch and run. The two-point conversion was good and the Payette Pirates headed to the locker room with new life, some momentum and a little bit of positive emotion.
What a difference a half makes.
Following the halftime festivities, where the Payette marching band played a rendition of Jekyll and Hyde, the two gridiron teams squared off.
This half belonged to Payette.
On Weiser’s first possession of the third quarter, the Black Thunder (Payette’s defense) held the Wolverines to a three and out and Payette blocked the punt attempt.
Andrew Schmidt,picked up the loose ball and rumbled seven-yards for the score and a huge eruption of emotion.
As the play unfolded, the Payette faithful collectively came to a roar, while the Weiser fans stood in disbelief.
Now, the scoreboard read 20-14.
Down to the final quarter in regulation.
The first eight minutes of the fourth quarter were uneventful. Then with a little more than four minutes to play in regulation, the biggest turning point of the game, to that point, took place.
Payette quarterback Garrett Grotheer located a wide-open Schmidt for a 31-yard to tie the game at 20. Convert the extra point was the new concern. But the run failed and the game remained tied the rest of the way.
Overtime mayhem.
Payette was up first, 10 yard and four downs to take the lead.
No worries. On the first play in overtime, Grotheer rolled to his right and threw a strike to Blackwell. Touchdown!
Payette up 26-20. Converting the extra point was again the concern.
The Pirates have not had success this season with kicking the point-after, so Gleave went with what his team does best, run the ball. Weiser was up to the task and stuffed the attempt.
Weiser sent its offense onto the field for its shot at the end zone. Two plays later the game was tied again, thanks to the running of Spencer Chandler who bullied his way in for one-yard out.
In an instant, like a bolt of lighting, the emotion and momentum shifted in Weiser’s favor. Everyone in attendance knew it. It was almost visible. One kick away from glory.
Austin Winegar lined it up, the snap, good.
Game over.
“What a momentum swing tonight,” Weiser head coach John Srholec said. “But we survived it. We cannot get too caught up in this. It’s just one league game. We have more games to play.”
After the post-game celebration, the teams shook hands, fans left the grounds and standing on the sideline, there stood Gleave. Pondering what could have been.
“Had we played just a little bit in the first half it would have been a different game. We played terrible in the first half,” Gleave said. “We have to learn to play four quarters in every game.”
Gleave said the decision to go for two-points was not one of applying pressure to Weiser, but one of necessity.
“We have had a whole lot of issues in our kicking game this year. I think we are 3 of 12 in extra points, and it not just the kicker, its a lot of things,” Gleave said. “So we went with what we are confident with, and that is gaining three-yards for two points.”
Payette will try to regroup as they travel to McCall Friday, while Weiser will host Homedale.
interested wrote on Oct 7, 2009 4:18 PM: