Whitehorse punches ticket to 8-man football state semis: Raider to play top-seeded Rich

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

MONTEZUMA CREEK, Utah

The Whitehorse High School Raiders are bound for the Utah High School Activities Association 8-man football semifinals after defending their home turf Friday afternoon with a 38–20 victory over Utah Military Academy-Hill Field.

Senior quarterback Tristan Black led the Raiders with a stellar all-around effort, throwing for three touchdowns and one interception on 9-of-13 passing for 246 yards. He added 74 rushing yards on nine carries, including two touchdown runs. Senior running back Lance Tsinigine rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while sophomore Hunter Tsinigine contributed 98 yards on nine carries as the Raiders racked up 278 yards on the ground.

The victory marks Whitehorse’s second win this season over the Thunderbirds, having beaten them 44–2 earlier in Montezuma Creek. Head coach Chuck Woodhouse said it took discipline and resilience to repeat that result.

“It’s very tough to beat a team twice,” Woodhouse said. “We knew they were preparing to take back a victory, but our boys played with adversity, responded to their momentum push, and scored when they scored.”

Whitehorse struck first as Lance Tsinigine broke loose for a 26-yard touchdown run. Later in the first quarter, Black capped a methodical drive with a short touchdown run, giving the Raiders a 14–0 lead with a minute remaining.

Utah Military Academy found the end zone midway through the second quarter on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Davian Tiznado to Keaton Speier, trimming the lead to 14–6. Whitehorse answered immediately — returning the kickoff to midfield and driving to the 4-yard line, where Black ran in his second touchdown for a 20–6 advantage.

Moments later, the Thunderbirds returned the favor with a 74-yard kickoff return touchdown by Pedro Flores, cutting the deficit to 20–12 as the first half closed.

Whitehorse opened the third quarter by recovering a fumble on the kickoff, setting up great field position. On the ensuing play, Black found Adam Joe wide open for a 58-yard touchdown strike, extending the lead to 26–12.

After a defensive stop, Black hit Elam Etticitty on a 35-yard touchdown pass to widen the margin to 32–12 with eight minutes left in the quarter. Although the Raiders threw an interception deep in Thunderbird territory, the defense immediately responded with an interception return to the 13-yard line.

Early in the fourth quarter, Black connected again with Joe, this time on a 4-yard touchdown pass to make it 38–12. The Thunderbirds scored once more in the closing minutes as Tiznado found Speier for a late touchdown, cutting the final margin to 38–20.

Woodhouse praised his team’s relentless attack.

“The boys played their hearts out,” he said. “We just kept our offense marching, and we scored. We just kept scoring regardless of what they threw at us.”

When asked about the game plan, he added: “If they let us pass, we’ll pass, and if they let us run, we’ll run — because our running back core is our strength.”

With the win, Whitehorse advances to face top-seeded Rich High School on Friday at 1 p.m. at Eccles Coliseum on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City.

“If there’s a team that can beat Rich, it’s our Raiders,” Woodhouse said. “I believe we have the kids that can pull it off.”

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