Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008

PREP FOOTBALL: Union ends Ferndale's season on blocked kick

VANCOUVER — It was worse than a worst-case scenario.

With the Class 3A state football quarterfinal between Ferndale and Camas Union tied at 14 on Saturday, Nov. 22, Golden Eagles’ coach Jamie Plenkovich thought the worst that could happen would be overtime.

So Ferndale lined up with 14 seconds left and kicker Jake Dunn attempted a 44-yard field goal that would have either won the game or —with a miss — sent the game into OT.

But neither happened.

The Titans’ Dex Homer blocked Dunn’s kick and Mitch Saylor picked it up and returned it 65 yards with three seconds left to lift the second-year Union program to a 21-14 victory.

“It’s a sick feeling for our seniors,” Plenkovich said. “We had a shot to win the game, and it turns around on one play.”

That one play handed Ferndale its first loss of the season. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, it was a costly one.

In the battle of unbeatens, Ferndale finishes with a 11-1 record while Union, now 12-0, moves on to the semifinals for the first time in its short history to face Lakes.

“This is one of those games that it’s just unfortunate that somebody has to lose,” Union coach Cale Piland said. “They’re a fantastic football team and as good as anybody in the state.”

But for the third time since the Golden Eagles won the state championship in 2005, they won’t be advancing to Tacoma for the state semifinals.

“We played our hearts out, and that’s all we can ask for,” Ferndale senior Spencer Hannah said. “It’s a tough one to swallow. We had our chances. We just couldn’t capitalize. They came out and played great in the second half, and we just couldn’t get anything going. Hands down to them. They’re a good football team.”

The Golden Eagles were forced to punt four times in the second half after building a 14-0 lead in the first two quarters.

But in the final quarter Union was forced to punt as well, and with less than five minutes remaining the Golden Eagles started to make something happen.

Ferndale marched from its own 29 all the way to Union’s 26 before the Titans’ defense wouldn’t give up any more ground. The Golden Eagles let the clock run down until 14 seconds were left and sent Dunn out to kick.

But it didn’t go according to plan.

“We got some breaks late to swing some field position in our favor, and we thought we had a shot to win,” Plenkovich said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight. We knew they’re a good football team. They made enough plays to get it done. We think we’re going into overtime, and they do a good job of blocking our field goal and running it back.”

In the beginning it didn’t look as if the Golden Eagles would be the ones going home dejected. For the first time this season, Union found itself behind in a game, when Ferndale senior Jordan Finkbonner ran in a 2-yard score in the first quarter.

Casey Locker extended the lead to 14-0 with a 24-yard touchdown run. Locker led all rushers with 85 yards on 16 carries while Spencer Hannah finished with 63 yards on 12 carries.

Ferndale finished with 211 total rushing yards, compared to Union’s 116. But when it came down to the game’s outcome, those stats weren’t relevant.

While Union players and fans rushed the field, it was an emotional ending for Ferndale.

But Piland doesn’t think the Golden Eagles should be hanging their heads.

“They should be proud as heck,” he said. “That was a fantastic high school football game and one that people down here and I’m sure people up there as well, will be talking about for a long time.”

Reach Somer Breeze at somer.breeze@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2285.