Turnovers plague Mountain Home in loss to Jerome

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Friday night's battle between the Mountain Home Tigers and Jerome Tigers had more in common than their nicknames. Both teams were also winless in five previous games.

In the end, turnovers, which had been big in keeping Mountain Home winless, did them in again, as the Jerome Tigers beat Mountain Home 38-27 for their first win of the season.

Jerome took the opening kickoff and moved the ball down the field 65 yards in eight plays, Jake Hollifield scoring on a 30-yard run. With the point-after try, Jerome led by seven with 9:21 left in the first quarter.

Mountain Home went three-and-out in its first possession, punting the ball back to Jerome.

Jerome had success with the ball in its second possession until the drive stalled at the Mountain Home 10. Mike Mercado booted a 27-yard field goal to boost Jerome's lead to 10-0 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.

Jerome's next score came after a Mountain Home fumble early in the second quarter. A pass play from Zach Thibault to Deion Ortega put the home team at the Mountain Home four yard-line. Two plays later, Jake Hollifield took it in for another score, this one from five yards out. With the PAT, Jerome's lead was 17-0, with 8:04 left in the first half.

Mountain Home wasted little time scoring on its next possession, Jake Hennessey hooking up with J.T. Cristobal on a 68-yard scoring strike on the first play. With Tony McKenzie's PAT, it was 17-7, Jerome, with 7:49 left in the half.

Jerome scored again in the closing minute of the first half, after Mountain Home coughed up the ball on its own 10-yard line. Three plays later, Preston Miller scored from a yard out, and with the PAT, Jerome took a 24-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Mountain Home received the ball to start the second half, and moved it down the field 67 yards in eight plays, Jake Hennessey taking it the final five yards for the score. Mountain Home's two-point conversion was unsuccessful, but the MHHS Tigers had cut the deficit to 24-13, with 9:21 to go in the third quarter.

Jerome answered with a scoring drive of its own, going 70 yards in ten plays, Zach Thibault hitting Deion Ortega on a 26-yard score. Mike Mercado's PAT upped Jerome's lead to 31-13 with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

Mountain Home moved the ball from its own 40 down to the Jerome 14 before the drive stalled. Tony McKenzie's 31-yard field goal attempt was off the mark.

Jerome started on its own 20, but Jake Hennessey intercepted a Zach Thibault pass and Mountain Home took over at the Jerome 10.

On first down, Hennessey connected with J.T. Cristobal for the 10-yard score. The run for two failed, but Mountain Home was within 12, 31-19, with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jerome's next possession took it down to the Mountain Home 15, where Mike Mercado's 32-yard field goal was no good.

Mountain Home had a good drive going that took it down to the Jerome 20-yard line, but another fumble turned the ball back over to Jerome.

Mountain Home forced a three-and-out and got the ball back on its own 33 with 4:02 left in the ball game. Three plays later, Jake Hollifield picked off a Jake Hennessey pass and ran it back 35-yards for a score. With the PAT, it was 38-19, Jerome, with 3:11 left.

Mountain Home answered quickly, going 84 yards in four plays, the big play a 66-yard pass to Mike Daniels. Jake Hennessey then threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dion Salinas for the score. Hennessey then passed to Gage Curtis for the two-point conversion, making it 38-27 with 2:08 left in the game.

Mountain Home tried an on-side kick to try and get the ball back, but Jerome recovered and was able to pick up a first down to keep the drive going and run out the clock for the 38-27 win.

Mountain Home Tiger head football coach Brian Floyd had said in his pre-game radio interview that his Tigers could not afford to turn over the ball if they expected to win. Mountain Home gave the ball up three times on fumbles and once by an interception. Jerome was able to turn three of the four turnovers into points

"We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot," said Coach Floyd after the game. "I thought we were past that, but I guess not."

Mountain Home enjoyed a great night passing the ball, with Jake Hennessey passing for over 400 yards, but the team managed just 28 yards rushing on 22 touches.

"We took a step backwards with our O- and D-line this week," said Coach Floyd. We've just got to keep working with them to get better."

Mountain Home's Juan Silva rushed once for 13 yards, to lead the team. Robert Jackio had 12 yards on three carries, Skyler Podesek rushed three times for four yards, Tyler Knauth had one carry for two yards and Jake Hennessey rushed 14 times for minus three yards and a touchdown.

Hennessey completed 21 of 34 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns. He had one pass picked off.

J.T. Cristobal caught eight passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Dion Salinas caught five passes for 107 yards and a score. Juan Silva had five catches for 54 yards, Ben Ceccarelli caught two passes for 21 yards and Mike Daniels caught one pass for 66 yards.

Mountain Home faces another winless team this Friday night when it travels to Kuna to face the Kavemen in conference play.

"They do a lot of different things offensively," said Coach Floyd of Kuna.

"They play pretty hard defensively -- they've been doing that really well this year -- but their offense has kind of struggled. We have some of the same issues. It'll be good for us to go up there and focus and play a good game."

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday night at Kuna.

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