In second game at QB, converted receiver Segura leads Timberline to 28-14 win over Capital

Fans throughout the Pacific Northwest learned this week how painful it can be when your favorite team loses its starting quarterback.

Timberline High School got an earlier taste of the dilemma when junior QB Jackson Brown suffered a concussion last week against Central Kitsap. The Blazers passed over their designated backup quarterbacks, moving senior wide receiver Franco Segura into the role because coach James Jones believes he is Timberline’s most dangerous playmaker.

His hunch has proved right. For the second week in a row, Segura, along with a deep corps of receivers and hard-charging running back Kaleb McNeely, provided the offensive spark as Timberline came up clutch down the stretch.

“I was ready when Jackson went down, I knew I had to step up,” said Segura, who hadn’t thrown a football with would-be tacklers chasing him since sixth grade. “I had to learn a lot. When it came time for the game I was super nervous, but I was also super excited.”

After scoring the final 17 points last week to defeat Central Kitsap, the Blazers broke a 14-14 tie with the final two scores of the game to defeated Capital on Friday night at South Sound Stadium, 28-14.

“Our kids believe in each other, they believe it what we’re doing,” said Jones. “They go out and make the plays happen.”

Segura completed 12 of 16 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown, and ran for another, while McNeely carried 24 times for 130 yards and a touchdown.

“Franco’s an athlete, he’s a baller. We told him ‘we’re not going to overcoach you, just go out, be an athlete and make plays’ and that’s what he did,” said Jones.

McNeely said his teammates had no doubt Segura would come through.

“We trusted him and he did amazing,” he said.

The Cougars struck on their first possession. On the second play after forcing a three-and-out defensively, Capital grabbed a 6-0 lead on a 25-yard run by quarterback Angus Hubbard. After again forcing a Timberline punt, the Cougars appeared to grab the momentum when tight end Luke Jenson grabbed a Hubbard pass and took it down to the Blazers 15.

But a penalty called the play back and with it Capital’s only chance to go up by two touchdowns. Jones said the play didn’t rattle his team.

“We know every game is going to be a dog fight. That’s why we played so well through the fourth quarter. We’re prepared to fight all the way,” he said

After a bad snap on an attempted third quarter punt by the Cougars gave Timberline the ball on the doorstep of the end zone, McNeely carried it in for a 14-6 Blazers lead. Capital would tie the game before the quarter was over one a one yard run by running back Jake Kennedy, who paced the Cougars offense with 85 yards on 16 carries but would never score again as the Blazers defense stiffened.

On the night, Timberline forced Capital into six three-and-out possessions as defensive coordinator Beau Pocklington put in place a few new wrinkles during the week.

“He put us in the right spot to make our plays,” said McNeely, who shined on defense as a linebacker as well as on offense. “We had four down lineman, two backers and we were balling.”

Jones also praised the play of nose tackles CC Williams and Cameron Sanders as Timberline held Capital to 173 yards of total offense. Nathan Nadeau and Adam Ahlf recorded sacks.

“Our whole D line played better this week,” Jones said.

While the defense held Capital away from the end zone, the Blazers got there twice more.

Eight and a half minutes from the end, Segura rolled left and found Colby Callahan open in front of the Capital bench. Callahan broke back into the middle and dashed into the end zone. Five minutes later Erik Cabrera swept around right end from nine yards away for the score that made a Capital comeback unlikely.

This story was originally published October 9, 2021 at 12:06 AM with the headline "In second game at QB, converted receiver Segura leads Timberline to 28-14 win over Capital."