Raiders fall to Rich Rebels in semifinals

by David Boyle
News Director
The Whitehorse High School football season came to a close this past Friday, November 7 in the 8-Player Utah State semifinals with a 50-8 loss to the #1 Rich Rebels in Cedar City.
The Raiders began the game with possession and gained 43 yards on the ground on eight plays. The drive stalled after a sack on fourth down however, giving Rich the ball.
The Raider defense held strong to force a turnover on downs and regained possession at their own 49 yard line.
Whitehorse picked up a first down through the air with a couple passes from Tristan Black to Adam Joe, but their drive once again stalled on a fourth-and-five, turning the ball over to Rich at the Raider 37.
Rich went 63 yards in two plays with two big runs to get the first score of the game, making the count 6-0 with 2:17 left in the first quarter.
Whitehorse found its most explosive play on the following kick with Elam Etsitty grabbing the ball at the ten yard line and finding a gap up the sideline to go 70 yards on the return.
A horsecollar tackle penalty against Rich gave Whitehorse the ball at the Rich 11 yard line. Black had a three-yard run on first down, an incomplete pass on second down and a three-yard loss on third down.
On fourth down Lance Tsinigine ran for eight yards but was unable to get a first down, resulting in a turnover on downs and giving Rich the ball at the three yard line.
On the following play Aiden Hamm made a tackle in the end zone but forward progress placed the ball at the one yard line instead of a safety for Whitehorse. The first quarter came to a close with the score remaining 6-0 in favor of Rich.
Whitehorse forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their own 42 yard line following a punt. But the Raider offense also went three-and-out and punted to Rich.
Beginning at their own 27 it took Rich just two plays to drive the field add a touchdown, making the score 12-0 with 9:04 left in the first half.
The Whitehorse offense went three-and-out on their next possession and a good punt return by Rich set the Rebels up at the Raider 24. They struck again in one play, increasing their lead to 20-0 following a two-point conversion.
Rich added a safety and two more touchdowns before the end of the half to make the score 36-0 at halftime.
The Rebels added another touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 42-0, but Whitehorse responded with a seven-play, 68-yard drive.
Big plays included a 24-yard catch by Joe and a 21-yard run by Black, and the Raiders capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run by Lance Tsinigine.
He also added the two-point conversion run, making the score 42-8. Rich scored once more to make the final score 50-8.
Whitehorse finished the game with 115 yards rushing and 100 yards through the air. Tristan Black led the team with 53 net yards on 15 carries.
Lance Tsinigine had 42 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown while Hunter Tsinigine had 20 yards on eight carries. The Raiders’ rush came behind blocks from Kelen Dee, Nateo Sam, and Rylan Hamm.
Black completed ten of his 19 pass attempts in the game for 100 yards and one interception. Joe led receivers with six catches for 62 yards, while Caidyn Lansing pulled in two receptions for 27 yards and Lance Tsinigine had one catch for 11 yards.
Defensively, Lance Tsinigine recorded five tackles while Joe, Etsitty, and Hunter Tsinigine all got three stops apiece.
The Raiders finish the season with six wins and three losses. Their trip to the Utah State semifinals was the second time the Raiders have appeared in a state football semifinal game in school history.
Whitehorse earned the #4 seed with a very solid 6-2 regular season. The team bids farewell to a host of seniors, including Tristan Black, Aiden Hamm, Lance Tsinigine, Kelen Dee, and Elam Etsitty.