State football titles run in this quarterback’s family. Can he join the club?
Homedale High quarterback Daniel Uranga won’t put up a fight if history repeats itself Saturday.
Twenty-one years after Homedale’s last state championship, another Uranga is under center as the Trojans (11-0) line up against Sugar-Salem (9-1) in the 3A state title game. Kickoff is 1 p.m. Saturday at Middleton High.
Uranga’s uncle, Darren, quarterbacked Homedale to its most recent state title in 1997. And his father, Tony, was under center for the Trojans’ 1991 and ‘92 championship teams.
“It was a long time ago, so it kind of brings back memories that you’d forgot, but it’s great,” Tony told the Idaho Statesman. “It’s really neat getting to see (Daniel) and all these kids he’s grown up with, kids he’s good friends with. ... It’s good to see them have some success.”
While their championship playing days are over, Tony and Darren have stepped in as assistants to try to guide the next generation of Trojans to similar success.
Daniel has no problem taking orders from his dad and uncle on game days.
“It’s nice because I know them well and we have a good relationship with each other,” Daniel said. “They have the experience, because I know they were on this same field playing before me.”
Last season as a sophomore, Daniel split time at quarterback with teammate Drew Deal. This year, Deal, a senior, moved to receiver and Daniel took the offensive reins.
“I don’t feel like I was destined to play quarterback, it’s just I practiced there ever since I can remember,” Daniel said. “That’s always been the position I’ve played.”
Daniel has completed 128-of-205 passes for 2,120 yards and 25 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. Deal has 36 receptions for 551 yards and eight TDs, plus eight scores on the ground and four touchdown passes on trick plays.
“That’s not easy. You ask a kid that’s worked to be the quarterback that, ‘Hey, we’re going to ask you to do something else,’ ” Homedale coach Matt Holtry said. “That’s part of the story, too, that people forget about. (Deal’s) been a huge part of our success.”
Running back Mason Kincheloe gives the Trojans balance with 254 carries for 1,689 yards and 21 touchdowns. Kincheloe averages 6.7 yards per carry.
“These kids care a lot about each other, and they care more about the success of the group than the glory of the individual,” Tony said. “There’s been games where we’ve won because we threw for 400 yards, and there’s been games we won because we ran for 300 yards.
“Nobody’s concerned about how we win. They just want to win. It’s a cool thing for high school kids in the age of mega-stars and sports. We don’t have too many egos on this team.”
Ten years into his tenure as head coach, Holtry says that selflessness has helped Homedale revive its once-proud program.
“The reality is none of these kids were alive the last time Homedale was in a state championship game,” Holtry said. “So for them it’s a big deal.”
There are several old boxcars adjacent to the football field in Homedale that stand as a reminder of the program’s past success. One lists every year the Trojans won a state championship or finished as the runner-up. Another has the years of every league title.
Players pass those cars on the way to practice every day.
This year’s team already has earned a place among the league winners, but it is hoping to fill one more vacancy under “state football champions.”
“It’s meant a lot just having the success we’ve had. Even getting to the state tournament, I think, has been a really big thing for the community,” Tony Uranga said. “Winning it would be big, too, but I think already it’s kind of awoken that old fire that Homedale used to have to support their football team. It’s been a shot in the arm for the community. It’s something for people to rally around. It’s a neat thing for a small town.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 5:20 PM.