Council Loses a Heartbreaker 22-20
Council came into the state quarterfinal game on a seven-game winning streak and looking formidable. Their only loss on the season was to 2A Kamiah, a playoff team in a higher division. They were facing a quality Garden Valley team who was 7-2 with their only losses coming to Council (42-24) and Tri Valley (26-24). Both teams had a great mix of speed and physicality.
Throughout the game, the Lumberjacks appeared to be more capable of driving the ball. Garden Valley only had two significant offensive plays in the entire game - one long run early on, and one long pass play in the second half, but both went for touchdowns. Otherwise, Council’s defense shut down the Wolverines nearly all possessions.
The tale of the game, though, and ultimately the deciding factor, was the Lumberjacks’ misfortunes on finishing drives. Council was driving at halftime when the clock expired as Decker McLinn’s reception was ruled down at the 1-inch line. For sure, it was a call that could have gone either way. In the second half, they had one drive end on downs at the Garden Valley 1-yard line. They also had another drive end at the Garden Valley 5 due to a turnover.
It was a tough loss for fans and players alike, as Council controlled both sides of the ball to a greater degree.
Senior Wade Vining showed his tremendous talent in the game, playing with everything he had. He finished the game with 12.5 tackles, 5 additional tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception return for a touchdown. He also had 39 yards rushing and provided exceptional lead blocking. Quarterback Owen Hatfield led the offense with 178 yards on the ground with 2 touchdowns. He also had 104 yards in the air, 84 of which were to senior Decker McLinn.
Council’s defense was exceptional in the game. In addition to Vining’s efforts, Wyatt Tharp had a sack, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hit; Remington Crowell had two tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and a quarterback pressure; and Decker McLinn had 5.5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a tipped pass. Oscar Warner also recovered two fumbles.
While the Lumberjacks’ playoffs didn’t end the way our players expected, we want to congratulate them on an amazing season that included a third consecutive District Championship. It was a pleasure to watch you all battle at a very high level.
Passing: Owen Hatfield 5/13 for 104 (2TD)
Receiving: Decker McLinn 4 for 85 Jim Tucker 1 for 19
Rushing: Owen Hatfield 17 for 178 Decker McLinn 9 for 54 Wade Vining 7 for 39 Jim Tucker 3 for 19
Tackles: Wade Vining 12.5, Decker McLinn 5.5, Tucker Laine 2.5, Ayden Heinemeyer 2.5, Remington Crowell 2.5, Owen Hatfield 2, Oscar Warner 2, Jim Tucker .5
Tackles for Loss: Wade Vining 5, Remington Crowell 2, Decker McLinn 1.5, Wyatt Tharp .5
Sacks: Wyatt Tharp 1
Interceptions: Wade Vining 1(TD)
Forced Fumbles: Wade Vining 1, Wyatt Tharp 1
Fumble Recoveries: Oscar Warner 2
QB Hits: Remington Crowell 1, Wyatt Tharp 1
QB Pressures: Tucker Laine 1, Remington Crowell 1
Pass Defended: Owen Hatfield 1, Decker McLinn 1
