Timberlake Tigers receive first round playoff bye
The Timberlake Tigers finished in first place in their district after remaining undefeated in district play.
The Tigers outscored their district opponents 599-102 during the entire season and 437-42 in district play.
Timberlake made the road trip to Bluejacket for a Thursday night game and came home with the 48-0 victory.
The Chieftains started with the ball. After the kick-off, Bluejacket fumbled the ball after Carter Sands forced and recovered it. The ball was recovered on the Chieftains 38-yard line.
Ethan Jenlink connected with Merric Judd to move the ball down to the 1-yard line before Jenlink punched it in for the first touchdown of the game. Jenlink hit JJ Pippin for the two-point conversion and with 11:38 left in the first quarter, Timberlake led 8-0.
Following the ensuing kick-off, Bluejacket began on their 22-yard line. The first play was a loss of 9 yards and the second was another fumble, this time recovered by Jadon Adkisson.
The fumble set the Tigers up on the Chieftain’s 12-yard line and all it took was one Pippin run for him to score. Jenlink connected with Sands for the two-point conversion to give Timberlake the lead with 10:39 left in the first quarter.
The Tiger defense came up big again by forcing Bluejacket to lose 29 yards on the drive. The punt was kicked to the Bluejacket 37-yard line and returned by Judd to the Chieftain 16-yard line.
Sands didn’t need much time and capitalized on the great field position by scoring on the first play of the drive from 16 yards. Jenlink and Judd worked together to score and push the lead to 24-0 with 8:37 left in the first quarter.
The ensuing kick-off went into the endzone and gave Bluejacket the ball on their 20-yard line. The Chieftains moved the ball to their 31-yard line before they threw an interception that was picked off by Pippin.
For the third straight drive, Timberlake was able to score on a one play drive. This time Jenlink connected with Dylan Schlup for 55-yards. Sands added the two-point conversion to push the lead to 32-0 with 3:14 left in the first quarter.
Bluejacket ran out the clock during their next drive. Three plays into the second quarter Pete Gwinn recovered a fumble.
Brayden Ross started the drive with three carries that moved the ball from the Bluejacket 38-yard line to the 5-yard line before Schlup scored on the ground. Ross added the two-point conversion to push the lead to 40-0 with 7:42 left in the quarter.
Bluejacket’s drive ended with a punt after they were unable to gain any yardage on the drive.
Dalton Leierer secured the victory when he scored on a 65-yard run. Cade Redding added the two-point conversion to give them the 48-0 lead with 2:02 left in the second quarter.
The quarter and game came to a close during the next drive.
Timberlake ran 12 plays to rack up 239 yards of offense. The yards came with 92 through the air and 147 on the ground.
The offensive stats are as follows:
• Jenlink: 2-2 for 92 yards and one touchdown and one carry for 1 yard and one touchdown.
• Leierer: two carries for 73 yards and one touchdown.
• Ross: three carries for 33 yards.
• Sands: one carry for 16 yards and one touchdown.
• Pippin: one carry for 12 yards and one touchdown.
• Redding: one carry for 7 yards.
• Schlup: one carry for 5 yards and one touchdown and one catch for 55 yards and one touchdown.
• Judd: one catch for 37 yards and one punt return for 21 yards.
Timberlake’s defense held Bluejacket to -22 yards on 21 plays.
The defensive stats are as follows:
• Leierer: three unassisted, two assisted and one forced fumble.
• Adkisson: one unassisted, one assisted and one fumble recovery.
• Gwinn: two assisted and one fumble recovery.
• Judd: one unassisted and two assisted.
• Pippin: three unassisted, four assisted and one interception.
• Schlup: one unassisted and two assisted.
• Ross: one assisted.
• Sands: two unassisted, three assisted, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
• Conner Griffin: one assisted.
• Colten Lormand: one unassisted.
• Cade Severin: one unassisted and five assisted.
The Tigers will have a bye for the first round of the playoffs and are set to play the winner of the DCLA/Billings and Oaks Mission game.