CHERRYVALE — Plagued by miscues, Humboldt lost 31-0 in a class 3A regional playoff game to Cherryvale here Saturday night. The Cubs found themselves in a deeper hole after a fumble early in the third period gave the Chargers possession at the 50.
The defeat left the Cubs with an 8-3 record.
The first crucial misstep occurred in the first period when Cherryvale recovered a Cub fumble at the 50-yard line. After being stopped at the 14, the Chargers called on Tristan Thornton to give them initial advantage with a booming 33-yard field goal.
The field goal was precursor to quite an evening for Thornton, a 5-foot-7, 204-pound senior, who was a thorn in the Cubs’ side throughout. By the fourth quarter, Humboldt had seen far more than it wanted of the irrepressible Thornton — whom the Cherryvale announcer in a fit of adulation called “the little engine that could.”
While the field goal gave Cherryvale a lead, the Cubs had no thought of capitulating and on the ensuing series put together a drive that gave them first and goal from the Charger 9.
Then, as it did at every crucial juncture, ill fate intervened.
On third and goal from the 2, Humboldt was whistled for a false start. On the next play Alex Murrow, Cub quarterback, slashed two yards to the 5, but his fourth down pass to the end zone was incomplete.
After an uneventful Cherryvale series, the Cubs started what appeared might be a more successful thrust until 15 yards was walked off for holding and moved the ball back to the Cherryvale 35. Another interception dashed Humboldt’s hopes.
Series by both went nowhere and Humboldt’s stalled at its 13. Rhett Smith, a sophomore, bailed out the Cubs with a towering punt that spiraled over the Cherryvale back’s head and rolled 69 yards to the Cherryvale 18. Three consecutive four-yard plunges produced a first down and a 30-yard pass put the ball at Humboldt’s 40 with little time left in the half.
Two plays later Zach Trim found a crease off left tackle and dashed 34 yards for a touchdown, easily the key play of the first half.
Humboldt quick-stepped to the Cherryvale 25, but, after a spike to stop the clock at 19.3, misfired on three straight passes.
“Defensively, I thought we played as well as we had all season in the first half,” Cub head coach K.B. Criss said. “Offensively, we had the ball inside the red zone three times that first half and just could not capitalize.”
What ensued was a time-consuming 13-play drive that did as much as anything to decide the game’s outcome. A 26-yard pass put the ball at Humboldt’s 6, which came on the heels of a six-yard sack by Humboldt’s Zack Osborn that had Cherryvale facing fourth and long. Three plays later Thornton smashed in from a yard out. Then, on a trick play off an apparent kick for point after, he added two points on a run.
Following the kick, Humboldt had another opportunity to get back in the fray, but a drive that started at its own 28 ended with an interception at the Cherryvale 35, the outcome of a pass that hit a Cub receiver in the stomach as he was falling backward and ricocheted into the hands of Cherryvale’s Brandon Menzer.
Cherryvale, energized by the turn of events, quickly scored its third TD.
Thornton pounded the middle for two and seven yards and then put together a run that had him resembling a pinball and elicited the announcer’s “little engine that could” exclamation. He was hit repeatedly at the line, managed to keep his balance after nearly falling 10 yards into the Cubs’ secondary, pulled away from two attempted arm tackles and squirted 56 yards to the end zone.
An interception at the Cherryvale 27 ended Humboldt’s next series. A sack and several penalties that moved the ball from their 46 to the 5-yard line ended the Cubs’ last legitimate opportunity to score.
Cody Hockett, a Thornton look-alike at 5-foot-6 and 218 pounds, scored the Chargers last TD on a 49-yard scamper with 3:31 left, during which the Cubs again had chances for a stop but came up flailing at the elusive back.
“Our kids played hard all night,” Criss said. “They played with heart. We just came up short. It was an enjoyable season. They were a very fun group to have the opportunity to work with.”
Alex Murrow led the Cubs with 33 rushing yards, while completing 11 of 27 passes for 144 yards and four interceptions. Caleb Vanatta rushed for 27 yards and had 42 yards on four catches. Hunter Morrow gathered in three receptions for 50 yards. Justin Meins had a 33-yard catch, and Tyler Korte one for 10.
Grayson Pearish tallied 13 tackles on the day. Osborn added 11.
Cherryvale rushed for 320 yards on the night, led by Thornton’s 143 yards on 17 carries. Hockett rushed for 96.
By the
numbers
Humboldt 0 0 0 0 – 0
Cherryvale 3 7 8 13 – 31
Cherryvale — Thornton 33 yd field goal
Cherryvale — Trim 33 yd run (Thornton kick)
Cherryvale — Thornton 1 yd run (Thornton run)
Cherryvale — Thornton 56 yd run (Thornton run)
Cherryvale — Hockett 49 yd run (PAT failed)
Humb. Cherryvale
First Downs 10 11
Rushes-yds 22-64 44-320
Passing yds 144 76
Total Offense 208 396
Passing 11-27-4 4-14-1
Fumbles 2-1 0-0
Punts 3/46 3/26
Chargers roll past Cubs
