This program’s first state football title came down to a last-second, goal-line stand
Saturday was a beautiful November day for championship football, with blue skies and temperatures in the 50s.
The action on the field didn’t always match, with 3A title contestants Homedale and Sugar-Salem combining for eight turnovers. But in the end, Sugar-Salem held on for a 30-22 victory — clinched by stopping Homedale’s Mason Kincheloe on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 8 seconds remaining.
Trophy in hand, the result couldn’t have been prettier for the Diggers (10-1), who won their first title in program history.
“I just think it comes down to grit and determination,” Sugar-Salem coach Tyler Richins said. “The stuff we did in the offseason, the work we put in in the weight room, the camaraderie with the boys, truly believing that this was a possibility for us. When you’re on the 1-yard line with the game on the line, that’s where that stuff comes out.”
Sugar-Salem’s defense scored a safety and racked up five turnovers. Fittingly, it was Grady Rasmussen’s scoop-and-score touchdown in the fourth quarter that provided the winning margin.
“This was a crazy game,” Rasmussen said. “But we have a lot of studs on defense, and when it came down to it, we made the plays that needed to be made.”
Homedale (11-1) forced three turnovers and recovered two short punts that bounced off Sugar-Salem blockers. The Trojans turned their first takeaway into an early 7-0 lead when Jake Collett’s interception led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Kincheloe for the only points of the first quarter.
Sugar-Salem tied it on Kyle Ostermiller’s 2-yard run, but Homedale reclaimed the lead after the first of its punt recoveries, with quarterback Daniel Uranga lofting a perfect fade route to Carson Brown in the corner of the end zone.
The first half ended with a wild sequence that foreshadowed more craziness to come. Sugar-Salem was stopped at the 1 with 12 seconds remaining, but the Diggers salvaged two points when an ensuing Homedale fumble resulted in a safety and a 14-9 halftime deficit.
Sugar-Salem recovered an onside kick to open the third quarter, but was forced to punt. Homedale then turned it over on downs at its own 31, leading to a nifty 27-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Gerohm Rihari to give Sugar-Salem its first lead, 16-14.
Homedale notched its second punt recovery of the day, but squandered the opportunity by fumbling in the red zone. The Trojans survived the fumble and a subsequent interception, but a muffed punt at the 8 set up Hayden Crapo’s 5-yard TD run and a 23-14 Sugar-Salem advantage early in the fourth quarter.
“It came down to the team that made fewer mistakes,” Homedale coach Matt Holtry said. “They made a couple less than we did, but I’m really proud of the way our kids battled. They never quit.”
Sugar-Salem’s defense continued to wreak havoc in the fourth. A Riley Thurber interception didn’t lead to points, but a fumble did as the Diggers blew up a trick play attempt in the backfield and Rasmussen recovered for the touchdown and a 30-14 lead.
But the Trojans fought until the final horn. After getting stuffed at the Sugar-Salem 3, Homedale forced a fumble and Kincheloe punched in a short TD. A two-point pass from Uranga to Brown made it a one-score game with 4:35 remaining.
Sugar-Salem looked to kill the clock, but fumbled at midfield with just over 2 minutes to play. That set up a dramatic final drive, with the Trojans coming within a yard of the potential tying score.
“They were prepared to stop our run, and they did a good job stopping it,” Kincheloe said. “But this was the best experience of my life. It was by far the most fun atmosphere I’ve ever played in, and our team never gave up, so I really can’t ask for anything more from my teammates and the way we played.”
Kincheloe finished with 96 hard-earned yards and two TDs on 26 carries, while Uranga threw for 175 yards, including 88 and a score to Brown.
Sugar-Salem QB Tanner Harris completed just two passes (one for Rihari’s TD), but had 93 yards rushing.
2A: DECLO REPEATS
Declo (12-0) beat North Fremont 41-24 for its 25th straight win and second consecutive state championship late Friday. Boise State commit Keegan Duncan finished 276 yards of offense and three touchdowns, including one on the ground, one through the air and one on a kick return. He ran for 213 yards on 20 carries.
1AD1: VALLEY SQUEAKS BY
Valley (11-1) came up with one final defensive stop at its own 24-yard line as time expired to hang on for a 42-40 win over conference rival Oakley late Friday. Valley QB Jason Hardy threw for 275 yards and four TDs, adding another 101 yards and a TD on the ground.
1AD2: CAREY GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Carey (12-0) edged conference foe Lighthouse Christian 26-20 on Thursday for its second straight title and 24th consecutive win, a program record. Carson Simpson ran for 176 yards and two TDs on 12 carries for the Panthers.