PR Sports

The North Fremont Huskies saw a first-half lead evaporate when the visiting Glenns Ferry Pilots rattled off 29 unanswered points to win the 2A state quarterfinal 36-20 Saturday in Ashton.

The loss ends North Fremont’s season at 7-3. The Huskies enjoyed their first winning season and first trip to the state playoffs since 2004 and the first in coach Rod Coverley’s three-year tenure.

North Fremont carried a 12-7 lead into halftime by controlling the line of scrimmage. The Huskies rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns while limiting Glenns Ferry to just 62 yards on the ground. Will Bollinger scored on a six-yard run, and quarterback Jevin Pocock punched in a four-yard quarterback sneak.

That changed dramatically in the second half.

Glenns Ferry pounded the North Fremont front, running for 173 yards in the second half and holding North Fremont to just 19 yards on the ground until the Huskies’ final drive when the game was 36-12.

Glenns Ferry coach Rob Spriggs said his team wasn’t mentally prepared at the start of the game.

“We had a little reality check at halftime,” Spriggs said. “We came out and played a whole lot better. Our line got a whole lot more physical in the second half and was able to open holes for our backs.”

Terry Jacobsen led the Glenns Ferry running game with 145 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Six-foot-3, 190-pound horse Michael Crane bludgeoned the North Fremont defense for 72 yards and three scores on 13 carries.

North Fremont didn’t help its cause, coughing up a fumble and an interception as Glenns Ferry put up 29 unanswered points.

North Fremont coach Rod Coverly said Glenns Ferry stopped the Husky ground attack by shutting down the edges.

“When you are playing a team that’s better than you physically and you make a few mistakes, boy, it puts you behind the eight ball,” Coverley said. “It’s tough to crawl out of that.”

North Fremont enjoyed a bright spot with the return of running back Braidan Martindale.

Martindale was a premier running back as a junior season last year, averaging nine yards per carry on his way to 887 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Martindale was primed for a big senior campaign before rupturing his Achilles in the final play of the final summer practice. Martindale was told his season was over before it started.

But after intense rehab, Martindale suited up against Glenns Ferry. In front of his home crowd, he rushed 15 times for 94 yards. Martindale rushed four times for 47 yards on North Fremont’s final drive and scored on a 17-yard run with 14 seconds left.

Coverley said he was happy to send Martindale out with one final touchdown.

“That was a devastating injury,” Coverley said. “He would have been the class of the conference, without a doubt. I know they had their JV guys in there, but I wanted to give those seniors and especially him one last feel of what Husky football is.”

Glenns Ferry 36, North Fremont 20
Glenns Ferry 7 0 8 21 – 36
North Fremont 6 6 0 8 – 20
First quarter
NF – Jevin Pocock 4 (kick failed)
GF – Michael Crane 1 (Gabe Arevelo kick)
Second quarter
NF – Will Bollinger 6 (pass failed)
Third quarter
GF – Ross Arellano 31 pass from Philip Owsley (Rory Hance pass from Crane)
Fourth quarter
GF – Crane 26 (Arevelo kick)
GF – Crane 9 (Arevelo kick)
GF – Jacobsen 21 (Arevelo kick)
NF – Braidan Martindale 17 (Pocock run)
Individual statistics
RUSHING – Glenns Ferry: Terry Jacobsen 18-145, TD, Michael Crane 12-72, 3 TD, Destry Royce 6-6, Philip Owsley 3- -8, Gabe Arevelo 3-20. North Fremont: Will Bollinger 18-69, TD, Braidan Martindale 15-94, TD, Jevin Pocock 5-14, TD, Tayler Martindale 1-1, Todd Hess 1- -26.
PASSING – Glenns Ferry: Philip Owsley 6-13, 95 yards, TD, INT, Michael Crane 1-1, 3 yards. North Fremont: Jevin Pocock 7-17, 2 INT.
RECEIVING – Glenns Ferry: Ross Anellano 2-50, TD, Michael Crane 3-38, Terry Jacobsen 1-7, Rory Hance 1-3. North Fremont: Jordan Oberhansley 1-13, Zeb Dye 1-14, Jevin Pocock 1- -11, Tayler Martindale 2-34, No. 84 1-20, Will Bollinger 1-12.