Weiser falls to Homedale in anticipated matchup

It was a bitter pill to swallow on Friday at Roy Dickerson Memorial Field where the Wolverines, on senior night, fell 21-7 in the team’s third conference game of the year.

 The loss results in 6-1 overall and 2-1 conference records. The Wolverines are ranked third in 3A District III standings behind Fruitland, which is 4-3 overall and 3-0 in the SRV.

 Homedale is 6-1 overall, with a 3-0 conference record and occupies the No. 1 spot in the standings. 

 The Trojans host the Grizzlies this week.

 Weiser took first possession in Friday’s game, but the offense stalled and was forced to punt from its own 26-yard line. Six plays later, the Wolverine defense recovered a fumble at its own 20-yard line. A 20-yard pass from senior quarterback Andrew Enders to junior Brock Spencer resulted in a first down, but a holding call on the offensive line two plays later effectively ended the drive.

 Homedale scored on the ensuing possession on a pass by senior quarterback Jaxon Dines who found junior receiver Danny Lomeli alone deep in the backfield, resulting in a 34-yard touchdown reception. 

 The Trojan’s celebration, however, was short lived.

 Weiser return specialist Malakye Scott fielded the ensuing kickoff at about the 15-yard line. Finding an opening near the right side of the field, he turned on the speed, sending Weiser spectators popping up from their seats and screaming wildly for what they could feel was about to happen. 

 Scott beat his last real threat at Homedale’s 32-yard line, hugging the sideline the rest of the way for an 85-yard return for touchdown.

 Ryndon Olsen’s point after was good, tying the score 7-7, with 2:02 left to play in the first quarter.

 It’s the third special-teams touchdown for Scott this season, the first a 95-yard kickoff return, coming in a 13-8 come-from-behind victory over La Grande at home, on Sept. 2, with just 1:20 left in the game. Scott recorded a 95-yard punt return for touchdown the following week in a 50-14 road win over Grangeville on Sept. 9.

 The Weiser defense stayed strong after the tying score, Spencer breaking up a potential touchdown pass and the defensive line putting some pressure on Dines.

 Homedale senior linebacker D’Orr Packer intercepted Enders on the Wolverines next drive, setting up the Trojan offense at the 50-yard line late in the second quarter. Dines would score on a 1-run. The extra point resulted in a 14-7 Homedale advantage with just 39 seconds to go in the half.

 Homedale received the ball to start the second half, a personal foul resulting in a first-and-10 from the Trojan’s own 8-yard line.

 The Weiser defense kept the Homedale offense out of the endzone for most of the second half, senior defensive lineman Blake Moser stopping senior runningback Trenton Fisher at the line of scrimmage to start off the third quarter. Junior defensive lineman Braden Phillips and sophomore Xander Gray followed up with a stop that resulted in only a one-yard gain. An incomplete pass to Lomeli forced the Trojans to punt from deep in their own territory.

 Weiser took over at Homedale’s 45-yard line, but eventually turned the ball over on downs following an unsuccessful fourth-and-6 pass play intended for Spencer.

 Homedale scored late in the third quarter on a 32-yard pass from Dines to Lomeli, who once again found himself alone near the endzone.

 Though the Weiser defense held in the fourth, the offense was unable to make up the difference, the game ending 21-7 Homedale.

 “Defense did alright; we got beat on two plays, it looks like,” said Weiser head coach Tom Harrison following the game. “The offense didn’t convert. The kids played hard. I feel bad for the kids. I feel bad that it’s their senior night; I know they wanted this one – we all wanted this one, but we’ll live through this and get another chance, maybe, to get them in the playoffs. Who knows.”

 Homedale, which has had three shutouts this season, ended the night with 322 total yards of offense, below their customary mark of well over 400, according to MaxPreps.com.

 Weiser had 242 yards of total offense, including 75 passing yards and 167 yards rushing. Homedale ended the night with 125 yards through the air and 197 yards on the ground.

 Enders was 8 of 14 for 75 yards, adding 64 yards rushing on 14 attempts. Spencer caught 6 passes for 58 yards.

 On defense, Moser recorded 5.5 total tackles, 5 of them solo. Levi Estes also had 5.5 tackles, with 3 solos. Kaleb Grove had 5.5 tackles, with 2 solos, and Jack shirts recorded 4 total tackles, with 2 solos.