Homedale had 3A’s top defense. Then Teton shredded it for a state championship berth
Jack Nelson would not be denied. Not with a spot in the state championship on the line.
Teton’s senior quarterback scrambled and eventually broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds left Saturday, securing the Timberwolves a 49-42 win over Homedale in the 3A state semifinals.
Nelson’s run and the win sent Teton (10-1) to the state finals for the first time since 1999. The Timberwolves will face conference rival Sugar-Salem (10-0) for the title next week at Idaho State’s Holt Arena.
Homedale (10-1) originally contained Nelson on the decisive play. The Trojans locked down all of his receivers before bringing pressure on his right side. But Nelson escaped to his left, originally eyeing the sideline to secure enough time for one last play or a field-goal attempt.
He turned the corner and spotted the end zone, though. And with that red turf in his eyes, he lowered his shoulder and split a pair of Homedale defenders for the game-winning score.
“Nelson has been that way all year,” Teton coach David Joyce said. “When he goes Johnny Football, as I call it, you just don’t know what he’s gonna do. He’s pretty elusive, and he’s pretty savvy back there.”
The last-second heroics capped an offensive shootout that saw Teton and Homedale combine for 1,079 yards and 13 touchdowns. Homedale sported 3A’s best defense (9 points per game) entering the afternoon. But the Timberwolves shredded it over and over Saturday, racking up 401 yards on the ground alone.
Teton ran 78 plays, converted 35 first downs and scored touchdowns on seven of its nine possessions in the offensive onslaught. Thomas Heuseveldt turned 28 offensive touches into 214 total yards and three touchdowns. Jack Joyce ran for 161 yards and caught a TD pass. And Nelson finished 11-for-18 for 130 yards and two TDs, and he ran for 83 yards and two more scores as the trigger man.
“They’re fast and strong and athletic, and they showed that today,” Homedale coach Matt Holtry said. “There’s a reason why they are averaging (44) points a game. They’re all that.”
Homedale’s offense kept up with the Timberwolves, posting 548 yards of its own. The Trojans took a 42-35 lead after their defense forced a surprising three-and-out, and quarterback Dillon Fine ripped a 58-yard touchdown run on the next play — with 8:55 left in the fourth quarter.
But Teton closed with 14 unanswered points to drop Homedale to 40-2 on its home field the past seven years.
The win earned the Timberwolves a date with another 3A juggernaut: Sugar-Salem. The Diggers have won 21 straight games, four of the past five state titles and have owned their Mountain Rivers Conference rival for years.
Teton is 0-12 against Sugar-Salem in the past 11 seasons. But Nelson said none of that matters now.
“They’re just another team,” Nelson said. “We’ve got to get our minds right and know that we have a good chance to win.”
HOMEDALE FINISHES THIRD
The loss spoiled the Trojans’ undefeated season and delivered another heartbreaking defeat deep in the playoffs.
Homedale left Saturday with the third-place trophy, adding hardware to the school’s trophy case for the seventh straight year. The seniors also helped the Trojans win their sixth straight 3A SRV title this season, a feat Holtry said wasn’t always assured.
“They were like a two-win eighth-grade team,” Holtry said. “We were worried about this group in particular coming up, and so to see them just become a team and rally around each other (is great).
“There are no big egos on this team. There are no big personalities on this team. They’re all humble leaders and good teammates. That’s what made this group a special group. It was a special season because of that. It was fun coaching all year because of that.”
Fine finished 13-for-20 for 182 yards and three touchdowns. The Utah-bound pitcher also ran for 209 yards and two scores in one final stat-stuffing performance.
Andrew Marston added 113 rushing yards and a score, and Luke Henry hauled in five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
This story was originally published November 11, 2023 at 6:35 PM.
