RallyNorth.net

Flags spoil Timberlane title bid in semis

Saturday, November, 15 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

PLAISTOW, N.H. –  On a playoff day where points were at a premium, Timberlane Regional left two scores on the field.

A illegal block and a holding call negated a pair of Owls second-half touchdowns and Exeter’s defense did the rest, stifling No. 2 Timberlane over the final 33 minutes as the third-seeded Blue Hawks hung on for a 7-6 Division 2 state semifinal win.

“We made mistakes that certainly hurts,” said Owls coach Kevin Fitzgerald. “The penalties obviously didn’t help. We had opportunities to make plays and Exeter certainly made more than we did.”

A combination of weather and a limping Derek Furey (ankle) severely hampered the Owls offense, which after scoring three minutes into the second quarter, would gain just 66 yards the rest of the way.

Defensively, Timberlane played a nearly flawless game against a grinding Exeter attack.

Brian Nicol and Robert Fuller piled things up inside and the Owls linebackers to seek and destroy, which they did.

“They’ve played great all season,” lauded Fitzgerald. That’s a great offensive football team. I thought our defense was tremendous today. Brian Nicol is tough to block on the nose, and we tackled when we had to.”

Drawing first blood, Furey powered in from the four, on a score set up by a sweet Erik Hatton scramble for the 6-0 lead.

Exeter, like a defending state champion would, answered immediately with Andrew Kukesh’s only two completion on the day, first a 32-yarder to Ben Callahan and then a 44-yard TD hookup with Nick Provost.

The PAT kick sent the Blue Hawks to the locker-room with a 7-6 lead.

Twice in the second-half, Timberlane looked like it had broken through. First, with just over seven minutes left in the third, promising sophomore Nick Lawrence scooped up a punt and dashed down the sideline on a 67-yard punt return for a score.

The only problem with Lawrence’s run was that it came right in front of the Exeter bench, which was quick to point out a block in the back to nullify the highlight-reel return.

Instead of a score, the Owls, without Furey, were stuck at their own 25.

Hatton, a senior with 12 TD tosses coming in, looked to have the baker’s dozen, when he found top target Matt Caiazzo on a 37-yard score midway through the fourth, but that score, too, was wiped away by a flag, this time a holding call in the interior line.

Exeter chipped away at the clock then made the late fourth-quarter stop when it had to, as the Owls never seriously threatened late.

Without Furey, Fitzgerald looked to Lawrence, who showed he’s ready and willing, going for 27 yards on his five carries.

“Furey is a tough football player. He’s been banged up since he showed up Day 1 in August,” said Fitzgerald. “He’s just a warrior, who competes. He was hobbled, so we gave Nick some carries, and he was tremendous. He’s only a sophomore, and he’s a good football player.”

Timberlane finishes the year at 7-4, while Exeter advances to face top seed Bishop Guertin, an 18-8 winner over Keene, in the state title game.

It’s the fourth straight year for this matchup in the finals. Exeter took the 2007 encounter, while B.G. won in both 2005 and 2006.