For much of the final three quarters, the Tenino football team looked like the better team in their matchup against the Colville Crimson Hawks on Friday.
Unfortunately for the Beavers (0-1), the first quarter was a disaster, as Colville jumped out to a 27-0 lead and rode that momentum to a 34-14 win.
While Tenino dug themselves into a hole that was too deep to climb out of, they still were able to generate some big plays.
The biggest came late in the first half when, trailing 27-7 and facing a fourth down, coach Darren Tinnerstet called for a trick play that involved multiple passes behind the line of scrimmage.
It worked to perfection, as Austin Johnson found Jack Burkhardt for a 20-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 27-14. With Tenino getting the ball back to start the second half, the trick play gave the Beavers a jolt heading into the locker room.
The Crimson Hawks responded after the break, however, holding the Beavers scoreless the rest of the way.
“Didn't look pretty out of the shoot, but they battled and got back in it,” Tinnerstet said of his squad. “(I’m) pleased with how they battled. They got a lot of fight in them.”
Tinnerstet’s next chance at his first win in Tenino will come on Saturday against Zillah, where the Beavers will face the Leopards on the black turf at 2 p.m.
