A6 BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022
BOISE STATE FOOTBALL
SPORTS
BAKER VOLLEYBALL AT STATE TOURNAMENT
Bulldogs bring home 5th-place trophy
Baker City Herald
Darin Oswald/The Idaho Statesman
Boise State cornerback Caleb Biggers, right, attempts to breakup
a pass in the end zone to BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua late in the
4th quarter that turned out to be the game winning play, Saturday,
Nov. 5, 2022, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise.
BYU nips Broncos
with late touchdown
regained the lead early in the
fourth with a 12-play, 79-yard
Boise State defensive coor-
scoring drive that was capped
dinator Spencer Danielson is
by a 1-yard touchdown run
fond of talking about the ra-
from running back George
zor’s edge his unit must live on Holani.
every week.
It was short-lived, though.
“On defense, you can play
On the ensuing drive, BYU
great for 20 plays and be off on running back Hinckley Ropati
three and give up 21 points,
turned a screen pass into a 48-
and everyone is like, ‘What’s
yard touchdown play to put
wrong with the defense?’”
the Cougars up 24-21.
Danielson said.
The Broncos needed just
Boise State’s defense toed
four plays to get back into the
that edge with expert preci-
end zone on their next drive.
sion for the better part of three Quarterback Taylen Green
quarters Saturday against
moved the chains with passes
BYU, but the Broncos slipped
to Stefan Cobbs and Eric
in the fourth quarter — and
McAllister, and picked up an-
there was no stopping the
other first down on a scram-
bleeding.
ble. Holani then had an 11-
To cap off huge nights for
yard touchdown run, putting
both of them, BYU quarter-
Boise State ahead 28-24 with
back Jaren Hall lofted a 6-yard a little more than six minutes
pass into the end zone with
to play.
1:46 to play and wide receiver
“We saw what we see out of
Puka Nacua made an acro-
Taylen every day in practice,”
batic, twisting catch near the
Boise State wide receiver La-
sideline to give the Cougars a
trell Caples said. “We drove
31-28 victory.
down the field multiple times
It marked only the second
and ended with scores. We just
time in a series that dates back have to finish at the end.”
to 2003 that BYU knocked
BYU had one more scor-
off the Broncos at Albertsons
ing drive in it Saturday than
Stadium. The first was a 51-
did BSU. Hall completed three
17 win in 2020 during the
passes and picked up a first
COVID-shortened
down with his legs
season.
before ending the
“I have been Cougars’ final drive
“We made
plenty of mistakes, dreaming about with his go-ahead
but we were able
touchdown pass to
making a catch Nacua on fourth
to overcome them
because of our be-
like that since I down.
lief and trust in
Hall completed
was a little kid, 29-of-42 passes
each other,” said
BYU coach Ka-
377 yards and
It wasn’t the best for
lani Sitake, whose
three touchdowns,
look to throw but also had two
team had lost four
straight. “It felt
that
that go ball, but interceptions
good to get a win
killed drives in the
and get back to our they threw it up first half. He tar-
identity.”
Nacua 19
to me. It’s my job geted
Nacua’s TD
times, and the ju-
catch was reviewed
to go out there nior snagged most
and upheld, and
them.
and make plays, of “He’
the Cougars es-
s one of
caped with a win
the best players in
and I came
in the final chap-
football,”
down with it.” college
ter of the rivalry
Sitake said of Na-
series.
cua. “He attracts
— Puka Nacua,
BYU and Boise
so much attention
wide receiver
State don’t have
that it opens things
any future games
up for everyone
scheduled because the Cou-
else.”
gars are adjusting their non-
Green had a chance to en-
conference schedule before
gineer a game-winning drive
joining the Big 12 next year.
when the Broncos got the ball
“I have been dreaming
back with 1:46 to play, but a
about making a catch like that holding penalty set them back
since I was a little kid,” said
and Green’s fourth-down pass
Nacua, who had 14 catches for to Latrell Caples fell incom-
157 yards. “It wasn’t the best
plete.
look to throw that go ball, but
Green completed 17-of-23
they threw it up to me. It’s my
passes for 220 yards and two
job to go out there and make
touchdowns. His first TD pass
plays, and I came down with
was a 16-yard strike to Caples
it.”
in the first quarter, and the
A game that was 7-7 at half- second was an arching pass
time turned into a track meet
hauled in by McAllister for a
in the second half.
9-yard score, which gave the
BYU (5-5) took a 17-14
Broncos a 14-7 lead in the
lead on a 24-yard touchdown
third.
pass from Hall to Nacua in the
Green, a 6-foot-6 redshirt
closing seconds of the third
freshman, didn’t get to be the
quarter. The fourth quarter
hero at the end, but he’s going
featured four lead changes, in- to learn from the experience,
cluding Nacua’s game-clinch-
Avalos said.
ing grab.
“It’s promising to see him
“This game came down to
respond and get going and get
more than just one play,” Boise stronger in the second half,”
State coach Andy Avalos said.
Avalos said. “Every time he
“We didn’t play four quar-
steps on the field, every time
ters of our best football with
he has a new drive, it’s a new
both sides of the ball click-
experience. He’s going to grow
ing.”
from this.”
Boise State (6-3, 5-0 Moun-
Boise State jumps back into
tain West), which had its four- conference play on the road at
game winning streak snapped, Nevada on Saturday, Nov. 12.
BY RON COUNTS
The Idaho Statesman
SPRINGFIELD — Baker
brought back more than just
the fifth-place trophy from the
Class 4A state volleyball tour-
nament.
The Bulldogs had the highest
finish ever for a Baker team, and
were also the first squad to win
a match at the state tournament.
Baker was seventh in the
2001 tournament.
“Fifth place is quite the ac-
complishment,” Baker coach Ali
Abrego said. “Bringing home a
trophy and making school his-
tory.”
The Bulldogs, who finished
the season with an 18-7 record,
opened this year’s state tourna-
ment by beating Tillamook in
four sets in a quarterfinal match
on Friday morning, Nov. 4 at
Springfield High School.
That moved Baker into the
semifinal round and the daunt-
ing challenge of taking on top-
seeded Marshfield on Friday
evening.
Abrego said she told her
young team making its first trip
to state — half are sophomores
— that any team, including
Marshfield, is beatable.
The Bulldogs scored the first
point on a kill from senior Jozie
Ramos, who concluded her
sterling high school career by
earning second-team all-tour-
nament honors.
Marshfield then scored eight
of the next nine points to lead
8-2. Baker closed to within 8-4,
but the Pirates scored three
straight, prompting Abrego to
call her first timeout.
Baker continued to strug-
gle with Marshfield’s array of
serves, however, while the Bull-
dogs had multiple serve errors
to give the Pirates free points.
After another timeout Baker
scored four straight to get
within 18-11, but Marshfield
closed out the set, 25-12.
The Bulldogs scored the first
point again in the second set
and led 5-3 on another Ramos
kill. Baker’s last lead was 6-5.
Marshfield scored four
straight to lead 9-6. Baker closed
to within 11-9, but the Pirates
scored the next eight points to
take control and go on to win
25-12.
The Pirates dominated the
third set, as Tatum Montiel
served several aces during a
10-point run as Marshfield
closed out the match, 25-4.
“We had a really off day and
we were still able to compete
with the number one team,”
Abrego said. “I feel like we could
have performed better. We’re a
very young team. It was defi-
nitely a learning experience for
us.”
Marshfield advanced to the
championship Saturday eve-
ning, where the Pirates swept
Cascade to win the state title.
Baker played Mazama in the
third-place match early Saturday
afternoon.
The first set was close early.
Baker senior Makenzie Flanagan
had a kill to cut Mazama’s lead
to 8-7.
Baker was still within four
points, at 14-10, when Mazama
scored four straight points to go
up 18-10. Baker didn’t get closer
than six points thereafter as Ma-
zama won the first set, 25-17.
The Bulldogs, who re-
bounded from a first set loss to
Tillamook on Friday, showed
their resilience again.
Sofia Hanson had an ace
serve to give Baker a 1-0 lead in
the second set against Mazama,
and after the Vikings went
ahead 8-4, Baker rallied to take
a 14-12 lead on Flanagan’s kill.
Mazama tied it at 14, but
Baker took the lead for good
with a four-point run that in-
cluded another Hanson ace.
The Vikings got as close as
21-19, but Ramos had an ace
to make it 23-19, and Taylor
Churchfield had a kill to give
Baker a set point at 24-20. Baker
won the second set, 25-21.
Abrego said the Bulldogs “did
everything right” in the second
set.
And perhaps just as import-
ant, she said, the players had
fun.
“Sometimes you’re focusing
so hard on trying to win that
you forget to enjoy the mo-
ment,” Abrego said. “It was nice
to see the girls having fun.”
In the third set Baker led 6-3
early thanks in part to a Ramos
kill and an ace serve by Jayden
Whitford. The teams exchanged
the lead twice, and Mazama
took the lead for good at 13-12
Tara Vanderwiele/Contributed Photos
The Baker volleyball team had the school’s best finish ever at the state tournament, bringing home the
fifth-place trophy from Springfield High School. Coach Ali Abrego, center, with Bulldog seniors, from left,
Makenzie Flanagan, Jozie Ramos, Campbell Vanderwiele and Taylor Dalton, and, in the front, Gio Piccinelli.
Powder Valley loses
2 matches at state
REDMOND — Powder Val-
ley’s volleyball season ended
with a five-set loss to Crane
in the consolation bracket at
the Class 1A state tournament
at Ridgeview High School on
Saturday morning, Nov. 5.
Left: Baker senior Campbell Vanderwiele goes up for a spike against Til-
lamook in the Class 4A state tournament on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, while
teammates Ashlyn Dalton, right, and Jozie Ramos, left, look on. Right:
Baker senior Jozie Ramos goes for a kill against Marshfield on Friday,
Nov. 4, 2022, at the Class 4A state volleyball tournament.
as part of a 4-point run.
Baker couldn’t get closer than
16-13 as the Vikings went on to
win the third set, 25-17.
Mazama never trailed in the
fourth set, scoring the first six
points before Ramos had a kill
for Baker’s first point, and going
on to lead 12-3.
The Bulldogs scored two
straight but couldn’t sustain
the momentum. Mazama’s lead
never dipped below nine points
as the Vikings closed out the
match, 25-14.
Abrego said Baker couldn’t
sustain the consistent level of
play that led to the win in the
second set.
Despite closing the tourna-
ment with two losses, Abrego
said she was happy with the
Bulldogs’ effort in all three
matches.
“As a coach you don’t get to
coach many groups like this
one,” she said. “They made it to
the very last day of the season.
You can’t go any further than
that.”
The Badgers won the first
two sets, 25-18, 25-20, but
couldn’t hold off the Mus-
tangs’ rally as Crane won the
final three sets, 25-21, 27-25,
15-9. Crane, the tournament’s
number two seed, was upset
in five sets in the quarterfinals
against North Douglas on Fri-
day, Nov. 4.
Powder Valley opened the
tournament Friday morning
with a three-set loss to St.
Paul, 25-17, 25-21, 25-21. The
Badgers ended the season
with a 24-9 record.
“State was a great expe-
rience,” Powder coach Marji
Lind said. “It was fun for the
girls and fans to be back at
the final site. The girls played
some tight matches. Didn’t
turn out the way we had
hoped, but they played hard
and left it all out there on the
court. Could not be prouder of
this group of young ladies.”
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