Top-ranked Kentwood beats Tahoma by a toe

MAPLE VALLEY - Jason Newbrey has found a new passion.

Scoring goals in soccer is fun, but not nearly as thrilling as kicking a game-winning field goal in the final 10 seconds of a football game. Especially when you're kicking for top-ranked Kentwood in front of a standing-room only crowd at Tahoma High School.

"That's pretty much the highlight of my athletic career," Newbrey said after his 28-yard field goal with 8 seconds to play lifted the Conquerors to a 15-13 victory over No. 10 Tahoma last night. "I really enjoyed that."

Especially since it was his PAT miss in the first quarter that was the difference in the score when Tahoma led 13-12 with less than 2 minutes to play.

"I really wanted to get that chance (for the field goal) because I missed that first PAT," said Newbrey, a first-year kicker who had not attempted a field goal in Kentwood's first three games. "I wanted to hit my last kick to win it."

Tahoma (3-1) seemed headed for the upset victory when Nick Johnson picked off a Carl Bonnell pass with a little more than 3 minutes to play and workhorse Casey Robbins earned a first down at the Kentwood 38 with 1:57 remaining. But on his 38th carry of the night, Robbins lost his second fumble of the game and John Conavad recovered for the Conquerors at the 36 with 1:50 left.

Bonnell, who had completed only 4 of 12 passes for 40 yards to that point, then engineered the game-winning drive, hitting 4 of 6 for 44 yards (one of the incompletions was a spike to stop the clock).

Kentwood Coach Tom Ingles called for the field-goal unit when it was fourth-and-3 at the 11. John Gardenhire, who carried 23 times for 120 yards, had gained 5 yards on third down to give Newbrey the chance.

"All it takes is heart, and he had heart tonight," Gardenhire said.

So did Robbins, who finished with 112 yards and scored both Tahoma touchdowns. The second, a 1-yard plunge, gave the Bears the 13-12 lead with 4:02 left. That score was set up by Nathan Hale, who broke through to block Ian Thorsett's punt with just under nine minutes to play, giving Tahoma the ball at the Kentwood 29. The Bears attempted a two-point conversion, keeping the possibility of a field goal in mind, but Matt Gerken was stopped short.

Kentwood (4-0), which trailed 7-6 at halftime, took a 12-7 lead on Bonnell's 11-yard scamper late in the third quarter. But he was sacked on the two-point conversion try.

Mistakes killed the Conquerors in the first half. They drove inside the Tahoma 30 on their second possession, but Bonnell was picked off by Randy Robbins at the 6. It was Robbins' fourth intercepted pass in the past three games.

After forcing the Bears to punt, Kentwood took over near midfield and got its lone touchdown of the half when Bonnell hit Thorsett with a 4-yard pass.