Loss to Kuna drops Tigers out of Playoffs

The football season came to a close for the Mountain Home Tigers Friday night with a 46-27 loss at Kuna.

The Tigers ended the season tied for second in conference with Kuna and Bishop Kelly, both of whom beat Mountain Home, putting the Tigers in fourth place by the tie-breaker system, and out of the playoffs.

The first two plays of the ball game set the stage for what would be a long and frustrating night for the Tigers.

Jesse Donez took the opening kickoff at the 22 yard-line and rambled his way down the field 78 yards for an apparent score. It was brought back on a block-in-the-back penalty that was said to have occurred at the Tiger 24 yard-line.

The incident upset Tiger head coach Brian Floyd.

"To be honest, I don't like the way officials do that kind of stuff. If there was a flag, you should have thrown it right away. They didn't throw the flag until Jesse crossed the end zone and then just stood back there on top of his flag at the 25 yard-line, which is not where the block took place, from watching the film. But if you're going to call the flag, call the flag. Most people didn't even knew there was a flag. Heck you couldn't even tell there was a flag until he started bringing everybody back, because he was standing on the flag."

So instead of being up 6-0, the Tigers had to start from their own 14-yard line. On first down, Jake Posey spotted Jesse Donez in the open down the sidelines, but his pass was out of reach.

The Tigers went three-and-out and punted the ball away.

Mountain Home's defense was intent on stopping the run, and that it did, as Kuna's Justin Mashburn came in the game averaging over 158 yards rushing a game. He had just five yards on 10 rushes at halftime, and ended the night with 54 yards on 32 carries, well below his 6.8 yards per carry average coming into the game.

With the Tigers stopping Kuna's running game, the Kavemen went to the air. Kaveman quarterback Jordan Galloway had a career night, completing 19 of 30 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns. Kuna threw for 388 yards and five touchdowns on the night.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Kavemen capped off an eight-play, 73-yard drive, Jordan Galloway connecting with Ryan Durrant on a 27-yard score. Dawson Sigman's PAT made it 7-0, Kuna, with 8:21 left in the half.

After the Tigers went three-and-out, Kuna began a 14-play, 64-yard, six minute drive, capped off when Justin Mashburn threw a 12-yard halfback pass to Dustin Norman for the score. Dawson Sigman's PAT made it 14-0, Kuna, with 1:09 left in the half.

Mountain Home's Jake Posey connected with Nick Barrie on a 39-yard pass play down to the Kaveman 14-yard line, but the Tigers were unable to punch it in before halftime, giving the ball over on downs to Kuna at the Kaveman 15.

To start the third quarter, Kuna went 85 yards in four pass plays, Galloway tossing 11 yards to Jaden Noteboom for the score.

It was 21-0, Kuna, 86 seconds in to the third quarter.

Mountain Home then scored quickly, Jake Posey hitting Chris Knudson over the middle on a 64-yard scoring strike. Danny Snelgrow's PAT made it 21-7, Kuna, with 9:44 left in the third quarter.

Kuna came right back, Jordan Galloway connecting with Justin Mashburn on a 64-yard scoring pass. The PAT was no good, but the Kavemen led, 27-7, with 8:47 left in the third quarter.

Mountain Home answered later in the quarter, capping off a 63-yard, nine-play drive, Jake Posey taking it in from a yard out. Danny Snelgrow's PAT cut the deficit to 27-14, with 2:49 left in the third quarter.

Kuna got back on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter on another big play, this one a 55-yard run by Brandon DeLao, and the Kavemen upped the lead to 33-14, with 9:16 left in the ballgame.

Mountain Home answered, going 46 yards in six plays, Jake Posey passing 19 yards to Nick Barrie for the score. With Danny Snelgrow's PAT, the Tigers were within 12, 33-21, with 6:17 left.

It would be the closest Mountain Home would come the rest of the night.

Blake Kerbs hauled in a 44-yard pass from Joe Galloway after an unsuccessful onside kick gave the Kavemen the ball on the Tiger 48.

The Kavemen put the game out of reach when T. J. Kiernan picked off a Kyle Kerfoot pass and ran it back 70 yards for a touchdown, putting Kuna up, 46-21, with 3:27 left.

Mountain Home closed out the night's scoring, going 52 yards in seven plays, Tallon Pauley taking it in from eight yards out to make it a 46-27 final.

Coach Floyd was quick to praise Kuna quarterback Jordan Galloway.

"That kid delivered big time! He was dropping dimes in there. Calvin Vivier played a great game, but stat-wise it looks like he got torched. He was sitting right there in the face of the receivers and the ball is just out of his reach every single time, and right in the receiver's reach, and you can't stop that. When they're doing that kind of thing, you just can't stop that. With the way the balls were placed, even double-teaming and getting the free safety over at times, he (Galloway) put the ball exactly where it needed to be.

"That was, in my opinion, the best game of his career. He played a heck of a game."

The Tigers held the Kuna rushing game down to 97 yards on 29 rushes, but with the 388 yards through the air, the Kavemen ended the game with 485 total yards.

Mountain Home rushed the ball 35 times for 136, and passed for 258 yards, for 394 total yards. Tallon Pauley rushed the ball 12 times for 58 yards and a touchdown, Jake Posey carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards and a score, Chris Knudson had 28 yards on seven carries, and Matt Ward rushed the ball four times for 16 yards.

Jake Posey completed 11 of 35 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He had two interceptions. Kyle Kerfoot completed two of three passes for 39 yards. He also threw an interception.

Nick Barrie caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Chris Maholick caught two passes for 39 yards, Chris Knudson had a 64-yard touchdown catch, Matt Ward caught one for 20 yards, Tallon Pauley had a reception for 10 yards, and Jesse Donez caught one for nine yards.

The Tigers finish the season 5-3 overall, and 5-2 in conference play.

Coach Floyd felt bad that the season had to end this early, especially for the seniors.

"I got the job when these seniors were freshmen, and these seniors have gone through a lot. When they were freshmen, they played a JV schedule because we didn't have enough kids, and then the year after that, we go through a 1-8 year. It's just hard for them and they all went above that. We had 18 seniors this year. Not many schools in the 4A have 18 seniors. That shows the character of these kids and shows their parents raised them to never quit. I'm beyond happy with the way these kids performed this year.

"We tied for second, but because of tie-breakers, we drop all the way to fourth. It happens and you can't do much more about that than celebrate what your guys did, which is two winning seasons in a row for Mountain Home football."