Thunder Mountain High School and Ketchikan both exited the field Friday night with some sense of satisfaction.

The former clinched a spot in the playoffs, the latter limited Southeast Conference leaders to one touchdown per quarter.

The Falcons (5-1, 2-0 SEC) defeated the Kings (0-7, 0-2 SEC) for the second time in three weeks, 28-0, in their final home game of the season.

Despite the shutout, TMHS head coach Randy Quinto said the team needs to improve its play in the first half.

“We’ve predominantly been a slow-starting team, I don’t know if it had to do with senior night or whatnot,” Quinto said. “We preach to the boys all the time that we need to come out strong and for some reason we start out slow.”

Thunder Mountain scored on its second and fifth drives of the game but lost out on two near-touchdown passes in the first half.

Quarterback Owen Mendoza, who ran in the second touchdown, looked to junior Hansel Hinckle on two nice passes. The first attempt, a fourth-and-8 play just outside the red zone in the first quarter, slipped through the wideout’s hands. Kings juniors Tyler McLaren and Brandon Wieber smothered Hinckle on the play.

The second attempt a quarter later — on a play which unfolded much like the first — was reeled in by Hinckle within 10 yards of the goal line but was brought back by a penalty (an illegal receiver was downfield).

The Falcons led 14-0 at halftime.

“It was super flat,” senior Jacob Tapia said of the start. “It was bad.”

Having numerous players leave the team since the beginning of the season, junior Kings running back Jake Taylor said the team grown stronger together. The smaller team — about 25 players — did everything it could against TMHS to pick up its first win on the year.

“We try to keep confident, we don’t give up,” said Taylor, who ran for 21 yards.

Roy Tupou ran for 42 of his 191 total yards on the first drive of the second half — a three minute, 80-yard push ending with a dazzling Tupou touchdown run that put TMHS up 21-0. It was a rare Thunder Mountain drive not interrupted by a holding call or other penalty.

Tupou shouldered 17 total carries for the Falcons. Erik Frenette carried the ball 20 times for 126 total yards.

The Falcons passing game never clicked on senior night. Mendoza threw one interception and over 10 incomplete passes.

“For some reason, it seems like we play better away from home than at home right now, so I’m kinda looking forward to the next couple of weeks,” Quinto said with a chuckle.

Ketchikan spent virtually no time on the TMHS side of the 50-yard line. The Kings never made it within field goal range. Quarterback Brendan Wong was sacked three times for 13, 11 and 15-yard losses and left the game early with an injury.

The Kings finish off their season against North Pole in Ketchikan next week.

With a 2-0 conference record, TMHS will be either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed coming out of the Southeast Conference in the ASAA First National Bowl Division II playoffs.

A Juneau-Douglas High School win on Saturday would keep JDHS in the hunt for the No. 1 seed. A loss could prevent the Crimson Bears from making the playoffs altogether. Check out the JuneauEmpire.com/Sports for a recap of Saturday’s game.

Thunder Mountain squares off against JDHS next weekend in the final game of the regular season. A three-point win over the Crimson Bears in Week 4 stands as the narrowest margin of victory for the Falcons on the season.

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• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.

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