For Tualatin, victory at last

Timberwolves rally from 12-0 deficit to beat Beaverton 15-12 and earn their first win of 2008

By Bill Wilson

The Times, Sep 25, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Tualatin's John Grill is stopped by Beaverton's Jon Dallas after a 14-yard gain in the first quarter of the Wolves' 15-12 Homecoming win.

JOHN LARIVIERE / The Times

TUALATIN – Tualatin figured it had to catch a break sometime.

The Timberwolves, who started a tough non-conference schedule 0-3, caught one late against Beaverton and earned their first win of the season on Friday at Tualatin High School.

But it didn’t come until the final seconds when a potential game-tying field goal went right and the Wolves celebrated a happy Homecoming with a 15-12 victory over the Beavers.

“This is the turning point,” said Tualatin lineman Jason Grosjacques, who had one of the Wolves’ five sacks. “We’ve been waiting for this. We’re back in it to win it.”

Tualatin appeared on the verge of a 0-4 start after trailing 9-0 at halftime and 12-0 until finally getting on the board early in the fourth quarter. After John Grill intercepted a pass tipped by Grosjacques on the Beaverton 20-yard line, Levi Levasa tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Cody Gibson with 10 minutes, 27 seconds left in the game.

Tualatin forced a three-and-out but Roman Lorentz’s 59-yard punt pinned the Wolves on their own 8. Thirteen plays later – a majority Grill runs – the senior running back pushed up the middle and twisted the ball across the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown with 3:51 remaining.

Levasa found Alek Poti in the end zone for a leaping catch and 2-point conversion to give Tualatin a 15-12 lead.

“Little things were breaking us down the games before,” said Grill, who fumbled late in the third quarter but had eight carries for 55 yards in the decisive 92-yard scoring drive.

“(After the fumble) I told myself I was going to make up for it. No matter what.”

Beaverton wouldn’t fold, though. Quarterback Michael DeHaan marched the Beavers 67 yards on 13 plays to set up a 26-yard field goal with 0:05 left. The drive’s big play came after a Grosjacques sack forced fourth-and-17. DeHaan rolled right and fired down the Beaverton sideline where the ball deflected into the air and Jake Krichevsky made a spectacular 36-yard catch, somehow pinning the ball against his shoulder pad as he was falling to the turf.

“I saw it get tipped,” said Krichevsky, who had five catches for 76 yards. “I knew it was fourth down and I had to have it and come down with it.”

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