Tigers can’t slow defending champs

FRUITLAND, Idaho – The way Fruitland High football coach Bruce Schlaich saw things Saturday afternoon, his undefeated defending State 3A champion Grizzlies were fortunate to fend off Timberlake.

This from a coach whose team has won 20 straight games and will be heavily favored to repeat next week.

This from a coach whose team averaged 52 points a game.

This from a coach whose team did something rare – watched an opponent score the game’s first touchdown.

By the way the game played out, though, Timberlake had to be thankful the final score wasn’t worse than 56-21.

Fruitland (11-0) will take on Shelley (11-0) Friday at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

Turnovers and a key injury to senior quarterback Levi Powers were just part of Timberlake’s undoing. The Tigers (8-3) couldn’t slow down the Grizzlies’ running game.

“Things kind of went our way,” Schlaich said. “There’s so much luck involved in these kind of games. You’ve got to be good, but you’ve got to be lucky.”

The good, however, far surpassed any good fortune that bounced Fruitland’s way.

Still, Timberlake made a statement early. The Tigers took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards on 12 plays before Powers scored on a 12-yard option keeper. Fruitland’s Kyle Smith blocked the point-after kick.

“That’s been Timberlake football for most of the season,” Tigers coach Roy Albertson said of the opening TD. “We made all of our first downs, the backs ran hard, (we) threw the ball well. That was great football. But after that we seemed to just fall apart.”

Before the unraveling began, though, Fruitland stumbled on its first possession. On the Grizzlies’ second play, quarterback Kaleo Nawahine fumbled the snap and Timberlake’s Ammon Johnston recovered.

All the early momentum dissipated for the Tigers when on the fourth down, with running back Nick Puckett set to punt, the ball was snapped over his head. Not knowing if the Grizzlies were breathing down his neck, Puckett slid to cover the ball, and Fruitland took over at Timberlake’s 11-yard line.

Three plays later, Nawahine found Nate Bake in the deep right corner of the end zone for a 11-yard TD connection, and the score seemed to spring an avalanche.

Fruitland scored six straight TDs. Five running backs combined to gain 339 yards on 48 carries. Junior fullback Caleb Crim scored seven TDs – six on short runs behind Fruitland’s dominating offensive line and one on a 35-yard interception return.

As Fruitland was driving for its final TD of the first half, Powers, who also plays cornerback, injured his right shoulder when he came down trying to out jump Micah McMurry for a pass. Powers had the ball momentarily, but McMurry took it away when Powers landed on his shoulder.

Powers had to be helped to the sideline. Assistant coach Brian Kluss later said that an X-ray revealed Powers broke his shoulder blade.

Without Powers, the Tigers’ offense quickly became one-dimensional. Fruitland turned its focus to Puckett, who managed to gain 107 yards on 24 attempts.

The Grizzlies’ biggest lead came on Crim’s final TD, a 54-yard romp up the middle that extended the margin to 56-14 with 2:17 remaining.

On the ensuing kickoff, Puckett sprinted 83 yards to give the Tigers the most points scored against Fruitland.

“To put that many points on the board, it is somewhat of a consolation because they’re solid,” Puckett said.

It was the third time in four years that Timberlake advanced to the semifinals.

“On the whole I loved playing with this team,” said Puckett, a three-year starter who rewrote Timberlake’s rushing records. “I told these guys that, but after the (loss to Lakeland) I thought we had no heart. We showed so much heart at the end of the season. I just had an amazing time playing with these guys.”