VANDALS SPRING GAME: Holdovers have their day

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

MOSCOW — Thanks to the transient nature of college athletics these days, many of the guys taking the field for the Idaho Vandals in their spring game Friday night at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome weren’t even in Moscow a year ago. 

But a few holdovers showed what they had in this year’s edition, won by the Black over the Gold, 21-3, in a game where the No. 1 offense went up against the No. 2 defense, and No. 2 offense went up against the No. 1 defense. 

One was fullback Hayden Kincheloe, a fifth-year senior running back from Homedale High, who let out a scream as he scored on a short touchdown run in the second quarter. 

“Kincheloe is a load,” second-year Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said. “He’s a kid who’s played a lot of football here. It means a lot to him, and you saw his running ability, that contrast, that downhill running style. But make no mistake, Kincheloe’s got some feet, and he showed a little bit of wiggle, and made some guys miss as well. It was awesome to see him finish his spring career, see him make some things happen, was pretty awesome to see.” 

Another was Noah West-Baranco, a redshirt sophomore from Melba High. In the first quarter, he took a short pass from starting quarterback Joshua Wood and took it in for a touchdown from 11 yards out.

“Noah West-Barranco is a guy I think can play on Sunday,” Ford said, “if he does what he’s supposed to do in his development. He’s been a huge addition to that room.” 

As for the game overall, the Vandals kept it simple — lots of handoffs, and a few short passes mixed in.  

“We try to keep them a little bit guessing; we don’t want to have too much film out there on what we’re doing," Ford said. "So we kept it pretty basic tonight, as far as our offense and defense ... we definitely have some wrinkles that have not been seen.”

Graduate student Cameron Pope booted a 51-yard field goal in the third quarter for the Gold, and junior Tony Harste, another returnee, caught a slant from redshirt freshman Sawyer Teeney in the fourth quarter for the game’s final score. 

Owen Forsman, a redshirt sophomore from Lakeland High, booted two extra points. 

Alex Green, a redshirt junior from Lake City High, saw action at right tackle. 

Damonte Bias, a transfer from El Camino College, racked up some 60 yards on the ground on the first drive.

“Overall, we made it out healthy,” Ford said. “We scored points, we got some stops, so I think it was a very successful day.” 

Wood, the returning starter, played a few series early, then watched as several other QBs took snaps — Teeney, redshirt junior Jack Wagner, redshirt sophomore Holden Bea and freshman Blitz McCarty, a lefty. 

Ford said Teeney was the clear No. 2 quarterback, “but we’ve got to keep getting better at that position,” said Ford, who noted they had another quarterback on campus this weekend that they may sign as a transfer.  

Owen Adams booted one extra point.  

For the placekicks, there was no one on the field but the long snapper, holder and kicker. For punts, it was just the snapper and punter. 

On the last play of the first half, the Vandals misfired on a field goal when the low snap was bobbled by the holder, and the ball rolled behind him toward the kicker. 

After the players take a break for finals and rest, summer workouts begin June 1.  

Idaho opens its season Friday, Aug. 28 at Cal Poly in a Big Sky Conference game. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Hayden Kincheloe (37), a fifth-year senior from Homedale High, scores on a short touchdown run during the second quarter of Idaho's spring football game, as quarterback Joshua Wood (3) celebrates Friday night at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.