“Turnovers.”
That was the one-word summary Newberg Head Coach Jeremy Johnson gave his assistants following the Tigers’ (5-3, 3-1 Pacific Conference) 42-34 loss to the Glencoe Crimson Tide (7-1, 3-1).
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The Tigers’ two first-half turnovers turned out to be the missing opportunities on Newberg’s Senior Night send-off, as their defense had no answer for Glencoe’s rushing attack.
Lined up in a tight I-formation, the Crimson Tide got everything they wanted on quick dives and power runs to senior standout Daniel Heninger. Heninger totaled 440 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns, including a game-sealing 65-yard score with four minutes remaining.
“Our kids showed tremendous fight, tremendous courage,” Johnson said. “They’re a good running team, and we knew that. We just couldn’t find the right way to stop them.”
Tale of the (Upperclassman) Tape
Newberg continued its season-long playmaking ways to stay in the game for much of the night, led by its seniors.
The first drive of the game was sparked by senior running back Chace Macken, who followed a 48-yard burst with a 5-yard touchdown run. Macken finished with 105 yards on 15 carries.
Senior defensive lineman Zadek Bowlby pounced on a mishandled snap early in the second quarter at Glencoe’s 19-yard line. Senior quarterback Parker Sellner then connected with fellow captain Luke Greller for a 2-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14, countering two of Heninger’s scores.
“[The seniors] have meant a lot. We have a lot of them,” Johnson said proudly. “There’s a core of them, probably 15 to 20 deep, that have loved football, they’ve loved our program.”
Heninger added a 47-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass as time expired in the first half, giving Glencoe a 28-14 lead.
Junior wide receiver Owen Kubin caught another of Sellner’s touchdown passes from 3 yards out in the third quarter.
Kubin and Sellner connected again late in the fourth to bring Newberg within one score, 42-34, but an unsuccessful onside kick and the Tigers’ inability to stop Glencoe’s ground game sealed the outcome.
“We’ve had some big games on this field,” Johnson said. “We’ve had great fights, and this game was another great fight. We just didn’t have enough time to finish it.”
Looking Ahead
“If we win next week, it’s a three-way tie for the league title, so we’ve got everything in front of us,” Johnson said.
Newberg is set for a Halloween night matchup on the road against Sherwood, which remains undefeated in league play.
The Tigers know what to expect — and what they need to clean up — to give themselves the best chance in their regular-season finale.
“It’s another team that likes to run the ball. They run it extremely well,” Johnson said. “If we can manage our turnovers, we should be in a better spot. That’s on me and our coaches. We’ve got to find a way to take care of the ball. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll get back at it.”
Notes
The Tigers missed two PATs on their first and final touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Ethan Hein broke his hand in the previous game against Liberty and played in a cast.
Hein returned a kickoff to the 2-yard line with 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, trailing 35-21, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty.
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