Tigers win homecoming game in overtime thriller

The Mountain Home Tigers capped off homecoming with a 23-20 overtime win over the Emmett Huskies last Friday night at Tiger Field.

Mountain Home received the opening kickoff and moved the ball down the field from their own 30-yard line to the Husky nine, before settling for a Stephen Reinschmidt 27-yard field goal that put the Tigers up 3-0 with 7:34 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers stopped Emmett on their first series after picking up a first down, but the punt return was fumbled, and the Huskies were back in business at the Mountain Home 13-yard line.

A penalty against Mountain Home moved the ball down to the eight, and two plays later, Heath Koffell took it on from two yards out for the score. Koffell booted the PAT to make it 7-3 Emmett, with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

After Keith Yagues took the kickoff on a reverse and ran it out to the Mountain Home 49, Brock Zamora connected with Shawn Morin on a 51-yard touchdown pass.

Stephen Reinschmidt made it 10-7 Tigers with the PAT, with 4:32 left in the first quarter.

Neither team found the end zone in the second quarter, although Stephen Reinschmidt attempted two 42-yard field goal efforts in the quarter.

Mountain Home led 10-7 at halftime.

A short field helped set up Emmett's first score of the second half, as they took the ball 44 yards in five plays, Matt Wallace taking it the final 26 for the score. Heath Koffell's PAT made it 14-10, Emmett, with 4:44 left in the third quarter.

Mountain Home answered with a 57-yard, nine-play scoring drive, Keith Yagues, taking it 37 of those yards, including the final two.

Stephen Reinschmidt made it 17-14, Mountain Home, with 7:16 left in the fourth quarter.

After Emmett ran the kickoff back to their 46, Matt Wallace swept the end for 54 yards and a score to give the Huskies the lead back, but Heath Koffell's PAT was wide right, as Emmett led 20-17 with 6:55 left in regulation.

A bad snap from center on an Emmett punt led to a fumble and Mountain Home recovering the ball at the Husky 31, with 3:25 left in regulation.

A Tiger penalty called back a touchdown, and Mountain Home settled for a Stephen Reinschmidt field goal from 18 yards to tie it at 20-20, with 27 seconds left in regulation.

Stephen Reinschmidt's kickoff reached the end zone, and the Huskies began their final series in regulation from their 20. Three plays later, Matt Wallace scored from 53 yards out, but a holding penalty called it back, and the clock ran out, forcing overtime.

Mountain Home had first go at it in overtime from the 10-yard line. Keith Yagues was tackled at the 11 on first down, but ran the ball to the seven on second down. On third down, Brock Zamora was sacked back at the 13. That set up a 30-yard field goal attempt by Stephen Reinschmidt, which was through the uprights to give the Tigers a 23-20 lead.

Then it was Emmett's turn with the ball at the 10. On first down, Matt Wallace swept the outside down to the four. Husky quarterback Joe Holbrook then took it to the one. On third down, Wallace tried to go up the middle and was stopped at the two. On fourth down, after an Emmett time-out, Heath Korrell took it up the middle and was stopped short of the end zone, and Mountain Home had prevailed in overtime, 23-20.

Tiger head football coach Tony Kerfoot was happy to come away with the win.

"It's always nice to win, even a little bit nicer to win at homecoming, and then, nicer yet to win an overtime game."

The Tigers rushed the ball 49 times for 284 yards. Keith Yagues, who lost his older brother Scott to cancer earlier in the week, played like a man on a mission, rushing the ball 21 times for a career high 131 yards and a touchdown.

"I thought he came out and ran extremely hard," said Coach Kerfoot of the effort by Yagues. "It looked like he was running with a purpose, and I think he was. I thought he did a real fine job for us."

Brock Zamora had 12 carries for 88 yards. Matt Maurer rushed the ball seven times for 31 yards. Billy O'Brien had five rushes for 22 yards, and Anthony Pomerlee carried the ball four times for 18 yards.

Brock Zamora completed three of 10 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Shawn Morin had a 51-yard reception for a touchdown, Mike Thornsberry caught one pass for 15 yards, and Keith Yagues had one reception for 13 yards.

Emmett, behind Matt Wallace's 143 yards rushing, had 191 yards on the ground, and 21 yards through the air.

Defensively, seven Tigers were in double figures in tackles. Matt Maurer was in on 16 tackles, including two solos, a sack and a pass deflection. Kole Spaulding had 15 tackles, including two solos. Ariel Santos had 12 tackles, including three solos, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Josh Stanek and Tyson Sessions both had 11 tackles, Stanek, had three solos and two sacks, Sessions two solos. Caom Hansen and Shawn Morin were both in on 10 tackles, Hansen with two solos and two sacks.

Anthony Pomerlee had seven tackles, including two sacks and a solo tackle, and Jarrod Roberson had six tackles, including four solos and a pass interception.

The win evened Mountain Home's season record to 3-3, and its SIC 4A conference mark to 1-1.

"That puts us right back in control of our own destiny," said Kerfoot, " and especially with B.K. (Bishop Kelly) beating Kuna last week, I think there's about a four-way tie for second place, and we're in it, so it's important for us to keep on playing well."

The Tigers host Bishop Kelly Friday night at Tiger Field.

The Knights are the only unbeaten team in conference play after two games, handing Kuna its first loss, 30-6, last week. Caldwell handed Vallivue its first conference loss, shutting out the Falcons, 42-0. Bishop Kelly is 2-0 in conference play, Mountain Home, Kuna, Caldwell and Vallivue are all 1-1, and Emmett is 0-2 in league play.

Kickoff for the Bishop Kelly game is 7 p.m. Friday night at Tiger Field.