Tigers end season with 39-67 loss to Cougars

There was no playoff berth on the line Friday night at Caldwell as the Mountain Home Tigers took on the Caldwell Cougars -- just pride, fifth place in conference and ending the season with a win.

In a game that had more runs than an old pair of nylons, the Caldwell Cougars had the last run -- a 31-point romp on their way to a 67-39 win.

It did not take long to realize it was going to be a high-scoring game, and for close to three quarters it looked like the team that had the ball last, and time enough to score, would probably win.

The Caldwell Cougars received the kickoff to start the game and, after a good runback was hampered by a penalty, the Cougars started on their own 30-yard line.

On the first play, quarterback Austin Van Horne handed the ball off to a back in motion, who then flipped it back to Van Horne, who then threw to a wide-open Max Weitz for a 70-yard touchdown. With the point-after try, the Cougars led by seven just 31 seconds into the ball game.

Seconds later, the Tigers fumbled the kickoff and Caldwell was back on offense at the Tigers' 43-yard line.

The Cougars moved the ball down to the Mountain Home five before the Tigers stiffened and forced a 22-yard field goal try, which was no good. The Tigers had dodged a bullet.

Mountain Home then went three-and-out on their first series, but a roughing the punter penalty kept the drive going.

Two plays later, Jesse Cobos threw a 66-yard pass to a wide open AJ Daniels, putting Mountain Home on the scoreboard. The try for the two-point conversion failed, and Caldwell led, 7-6, with 7:01 left in the opening quarter.

Caldwell ran back the ensuing kickoff to the Tiger 31-yard line, and two plays later were in the end zone. The pass for two was good and the Cougars upped their lead to 15-6 with 5:31 left in the first quarter.

Mountain Home struck back quickly. Jesse Cobos again found AJ Daniels, this time for a 64-yard touchdown pass. The PAT failed, but the Tigers had cut the Caldwell lead to 15-12 with 5:01 left in the quarter.

Caldwell again had a good kickoff return. Starting on the Tiger 45, the Cougars moved the ball down to the 15 before Tanner Sessions recovered a fumble and returned it to the 50.

Justin Lawrence capped off a seven-play drive with a 17-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers their first lead, 18-15, with 1:19 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers then forced a Caldwell punt and went 55 yards in six plays, Jesse Cobos passing to Tyler Park on an eight-yard scoring strike. Kai Corbett booted the PAT to make it 25-15, Tigers, with 7:59 left in the first half.

Caldwell answered quickly, snapping the 19-point run by the Tigers. Austin Van Horne capped a 54-yard, three-play drive from a yard out, as the Cougars cut the Mountain Home lead to 25-22 with 7:09 left in the half.

Mountain Home then turned the ball over on downs on its own 42-yard line and the Cougars took advantage of the short field to take the lead, 29-25, with 4:22 left in the half.

A botched snap on a fake punt gave the Cougars the ball back on the Mountain Home 31 and two plays later it was 36-25 with 3:02 left in the half.

The Tigers battled back, going 70 yards, in seven plays, capped off by Jesse Cobos hooking up with Tyler Park on a 28-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 36-31 at the half.

Mountain Home received the ball to start the third quarter, and put together an 80-yard, eight-play drive capped off with Jesse Cobos hooking up with AJ Daniels on a 43-yard pass. Tanner Sessions ran in the two-point conversion as the Tigers took the lead, 39-36, with 9:24 left in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, it would be Mountain Home's last lead of the game, as the Cougars, with a running game that Mountain Home could not seem to stop, took the lead for good on their next possession.

Trailing 42-39, Mountain Home moved the ball down into the red zone, but were forced to try a 32-yard field goal, which was short.

Caldwell then ended the scoring in the third quarter, going on a 10-play, 80-yard drive and scored to make it 48-39 heading into the fourth quarter.

The wheels seemed to come off the Tiger offense then, as Caldwell intercepted a pass and returned it to the Mountain Home 12, taking it in from there in three plays to make it 55-39.

Three plays later, the Cougars picked off another pass and returned it to the Mountain Home 39. Two plays later they were in the end zone, making it 61-39, with 8:39 left.

Mountain Home moved the ball well on its next possession, until an interception stopped it at the Caldwell 37.

The Cougars then moved the ball down to the Mountain Home two-yard line before they were turned back and the Tigers took over on downs.

Unfortunately, Mountain Home fumbled the ball and Victor Elias scooped it up on the three-yard line and ran it in for a score with eight seconds left to make it a 67-39 final.

"It was a wild game," said Tigers interim football coach Tyrone Hutchings. "We were back and forth with Caldwell. We were moving the ball, they were moving the ball definitely, and it was just a chess match really. It was just back and forth, seeing where we could take advantage of weaknesses, and they were attacking us, and we had some good plays, and we had stuff working for us, and then we kind of lost our momentum and our focus.

"We tried to reel them in and make it simple for the guys, and I think it's just that we were pressing to hard, trying to do too much," the coach added. "Definitely those turnovers in the fourth quarter, they just took the wind out of our sails, and we tried to do too much and go for the home run ball rather than take a few plays to get there."

Mountain Home managed just 69 rushing yards on 21 attempts. Tanner Sessions had 35 yards on eight rushes. Justin Lawrence carried nine times for 32 yards and a touchdown.

Through the air, Jesse Cobos completed 23 of 42 passes for 386 yards and five touchdowns. AJ Daniels caught seven passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns, Tyler Park had nine catches for 104 yards and two scores, Chris Smith had six catches for 46 yards and Luke Lockard caught one pass for nine yards.

Caldwell rushed the ball 55 times for 411 yards, and passed for 95 yards.

Defensively, Tanner Sessions led the Tigers with 12 tackles, one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. Cole Garrett had five tackles, Taylor Ogaard four, Tyler Park and Chris Smith both had three tackles amd Park had one tackle for loss. Jose Ortiz and David Welle had two tackles and Ortiz had one tackle for loss.

The Tigers end the season 1-8. They lose 18 seniors to graduation this year. Coach Hutchings says they will be missed.

"Eighteen of those great young men who are going to go out and do great things in the world. It was a pleasure knowing some of those guys at various levels and various sports that I've coached or been involved in coaching with, and it's just the heart they had," the coach said. "They could have easily packed it in with all the adversity, but they chose to stick it out and finish with us. It's a credit to them and the character of the families the kinds of kids they are raising."

Hutchings says there's a good nucleus coming back and up for the Tigers.

"The future holds a lot," the coach said. "That sophomore class coming up, those juniors that are going to be seniors, those guys are going to be the heart and soul of the Tiger football program, and if they continue to keep working and stay focused, even through their other sports, I think good things are coming down the pipeline.

The coach cautioned that it might take a while -- it's not going to happen overnight -- but the team can definitely "make some noise."

The Tigers head football position will open up now. Coach Hutchings says he will be applying for the job.

"I grew up here, I played here, and all I've known since I was a little kid is Tiger football," the said. "I was a ball boy for Coach Pease and all the way through, and then being a player, and it's been an honor and a pleasure to coach every team.

"Eleven years of my life has been dedicated to the Mountain Home Tiger football program and athletics in the high school," he added. "I'd love to be the new head coach. I've got a lot of great support from some great people, parents and kids. It will be interesting.

"I'd like to see where they're going to go and whatever they're going to do, hopefully they'll hurry and expedite it so it gives the kids a chance to get to know the new guy, whomever it may be, so we can get started," the coach said. "I'm going to continue to do what I do until they tell me whoever is the guy, and just try to keep it going and keep the ship rolling in the right direction, and we'll see what happens."