SPIRIT LAKE - After trailing by two touchdowns at halftime Saturday at Van Tuinstra Memorial Field, Timberlake High showed plenty of fight in trying to come back.

But the Tigers, the No. 1 seed from District 1, came up short, losing 35-21 to District 3 No. 2 seed Fruitland in the first round of the state 3A football playoffs. It marked the fifth time since 2006 that Fruitland has ended Timberlake's season.

"The game is a coulda-been, shoulda-been (thing)," said Timberlake coach Roy Albertson, whose team reached the state playoffs for the 11th consecutive season.

"We had three interceptions that really hurt us badly in the first half. But the kids stuck together and they made a real charge in the third quarter. We made it 28-21, but we didn't answer the bell after that one."

Next week, Fruitland plays at District 3 No. 1 seed Homedale, a 67-0 winner Saturday over Bonners Ferry, in the semifinals. The Grizzlies (9-1) have reached the state championship game each of the past seven years.

The Tigers (6-4) were within striking distance with less than four minutes remaining. Senior quarterback Bryce Johnson fired a bullet to senior receiver Ben Austin for a 10-yard gain to the Grizzlies' 45-yard line. Austin made a well-timed pitch to senior running back Preston Rhodes, who took the pigskin to paydirt for a 45-yard touchdown near Fruitland's sideline, on the 55-yard hook-and-ladder play. That pulled Timberlake to within 28-21 with 3:23 left in the game.

Rhodes rushed for 74 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns, the first of which came on a 1-yard dive with 6:51 left in the third quarter that cut Fruitland's lead to 21-14. Rhodes' first TD was set up by a 42-yard pass by Johnson to Brannen Pedregon.

"We thought we were going to win this game," Rhodes said. "We came out and fought hard, we just couldn't do it."

Albertson said his team only ran the hook-and-ladder play once or twice all season.

"They did a great job," Albertson said. "Ben made an outstanding fake, which allowed Preston to get outside."

Timberlake placekicker Vance Kistler then booted an onside kick, but it was recovered by the Grizzlies at the Tiger 49. Three plays later, on third-and-6, Fruitland quarterback Jerred Seamons found Ryan Rule for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 2:15 remaining.

Johnson found Rhodes for an 8-yard gain on fourth down, but Rhodes was stopped 2 yards short of the first down marker and Timberlake's hopes died soon afterward.

Johnson's three interceptions all came in the first half, with two leading to touchdowns. The third was picked off by Fruitland defensive back Harvey Ware, who sprinted 75 yards for a score and a 14-0 Fruitland lead.

Johnson's second pick was grabbed by defensive back Jaime Escobedo, who stepped in front of Tyler Condon, who was open in the end zone. Kennon Smith, who ran for 116 yards on 12 carries and two TDs, scored from 21 yards out for a 7-0 Fruitland lead.

"It was a rough first half," said Johnson, who went 5 for 12 with 64 yards. "We had a lot of heart. We weren't ready to be done. We thought we had a shot (to win)."

Timberlake gained more than 200 yards in the first half, but only had seven points to show for it as it trailed 21-7.

"Football's a game of opportunities and mistakes," Albertson said. "We had more mistakes than opportunities today."

There were 21 combined points scored in the final 1:30 of the first half. Ware's big interception return got it started, but Timberlake running back Josh Lampert answered with a 79-yard touchdown run to cut it to 14-7 with 44 seconds left in the half. Soon after that play, the Tigers allowed a 46-yard kickoff return by Escobedo to the Timberlake 34, which set up a two-yard pass from Seamons to Josh Rhinehart for the 21-7 halftime lead with 0.4 seconds left in the half.

"They did a tremendous job stopping the run," Fruitland first-year coach Ryan Tracy said. "So you just kind of have to either beat your head against the wall (running the ball), or make some adjustments and go for the win (passing it). That's what we did ... we knew we're going to finish games."

Fruitland 0 21 7 7 - 35

Timberlake 0 7 7 7 - 21

Second quarter

Fruit - Kennon Smith 21 run (Trey Natress kick), 6:17

Fruit - Harvey Ware 75 interception return (Natress kick), 1:30

TL - Josh Lampert 79 run (Keegan Scott kick), :44

Fruit - Josh Rhinehart 2 pass from Jerred Seamons (Natress kick), :0.4

Third quarter

TL - Preston Rhodes 1 run (Scott kick), 6:51

Fruit - Smith 31 run (Natress kick), :59

Fourth quarter

TL - Rhodes 45 lateral (Scott kick), 3:23

Fruit - Ryan Rule 22 pass from Seamons (Natress kick), 2:15

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Fruit, Smith 12-116, Chase Fiddler 7-49, Austin Stelling 7-31, Ryan Rule 6-12. TL, Lampert 9-100, Rhodes 10-74, Daniel Buck 18-65, Quinton Reese 5-24.

PASSING - Fruit, Jerred Seamons 7-10-0, 116. TL, Johnson 5-12-3-64.

RECEIVING - Fruit, Josh Rhinehart 3-31, Parker Stanger 2-17, Tyler Eiguren 1-36, Rule 1-22. TL, Rhodes 3-12, Brannen Pedregon 1-42, Ben Austin 1-10.