Defense’s last stand gives Broncos OT victory

The Broncos defense insured a homecoming night victory when they halted a Tri-Cities Prep (TCP) two-point conversion attempt in overtime, giving LRS a 21-20 win.

In the last nonleague outing of the season, the Broncos (3-0) struggled with too many turnovers and lost scoring opportunities on offense. While the offense sputtered at times, the defense remained solid and kept TCP from scoring during the first three quarters of play.

After taking a 14-0 lead into the fourth quarter, the Broncos, worn out from jousting with an athletic TCP team, couldn’t stop a sustained drive by the Jaguars and then gave up a 53-yard pass play and suddenly found themselves locked in a 14-14 battle as time ran out.

Head coach Greg Whitmore said the Broncos had opportunities to score in the first half and easily could have held a 28-0 lead at intermission if things had gone according to plan.

“We got down there deep a couple of times,” Whitmore said of the first quarter. “On the first drive there was a questionable penalty and then a fumble and on the second drive we turned it over on downs. As coaches we were really frustrated in the first half that we let a really good team stay close.”

This week in practice, as the Broncos prepare for the start of league play, Whitmore said the focus is on “finishing.” He said coaches will emphasize the importance of finishing drives and not making the kinds of mistakes that kill drives and momentum.

The team’s struggles are fixable.

“It’s not about talent. It’s not a size or knowledge issue. It’s just focus,” he said. “Overall, we’re a better football team. This game never should have come close to overtime.”

The offense finally broke the ice with a big play with 4:03 remaining in the first half. Quarterback Dylan Hartz connected with Connor O’Neill for a 50-yard pass play that resulted in a touchdown. The point after kick missed and the Broncos took a slim 6-0 lead into the lockers at halftime.

O’Neill made his season debut Friday after sitting out due to an injury. He was eager to contribute to the Broncos’ offense. One of the team’s explosive threats on offense, O’Neill finished the night with seven receptions for 92 yards. He also ran the ball four times for 10 yards.

“I just wanted to give him a taste,” Whitmore said. “He wanted more touches. I’m glad he’s hungry. He’s one of our most dynamic players.”

After the half, the Broncos found the end zone one more time with 37 seconds left in the third quarter when Hartz delivered a picture perfect 24-yard strike to Matt Fryberger for a score. Hartz followed up by hitting Ryan Whitmore with a short pass for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 lead.

After TCP scored twice, the teams were faced with overtime. The Broncos won the coin toss and opted to take possession first. Hartz was able to lead the team to a first-down-and-goal, which was followed by a three-yard touchdown run by Cort Ruzicka. Dustin Norton made good on the point after kick, putting the Broncos on top 21-14.

The Jaguars moved quickly to put six points on the board on a two-yard score by Bailey Rivas, his second touchdown of the night. Initially TCP lined up to kick an extra point, but after a timeout, they returned to the field in search of a two-point conversion and the win.

“They had three yards to go, both teams were gassed, our heads were down a bit, it was the right call,” Whitmore said of TCP’s game plan. “Thank goodness the referee didn’t hear me calling time out. We weren’t lined just right.”

The defense wasn’t in the correct formation, but the team closed off access to the end zone any way, tackling TCP’s ball carrier near the line of scrimmage to seal an LRS win.

“It was obviously a huge stop to end the game and preserve the victory,” Whitmore said.

Ball security was a major factor in the game. The Broncos will need to hang on to the football. The fumbled six times, losing four of them. Hartz also threw one interception.

Conversely, the defense capitalized on TCP’s mistakes. Hartz pulled in an interception of his own and recovered a fumble. Jacob Saetre also picked up a TCP fumble.

The defense held the Jaguars to 89 yards passing and 149 yards rushing.

Middle linebacker Keanu Niezwaag led the tackling effort with four solo tackles, six first hits, seven assists and one sack.

Hartz was as busy on defense as he was on offense. He logged three solo tackles, six first hits and 12 assists.

Jarradd Morley finished with two solo tackles, three first hits, three assists and one tackle for a loss of yards.

Tyler Frederick produced one solo tackle, four first hits, three assists and one tackle for a loss. Ryan Whitmore was pestering the TCP offense as well, with a one sack, a tackle for a loss, two first hits and two assists.

Defending against the pass, Matt Leffel had two solo tackles, one first hit and two assists.

The LRS offense racked up 367 yards on the ground and in the air.

Hartz finished the night with 195 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception. He completed 15 of 24 attempts.

Ruzicka led the rushing crew with 123 yards on 17 carries, averaging 7.2 yards per rush. Dustin Kommes ran the ball eight times for 31 yards.

Among the receivers, O’Neill led the team. He was supported by Fryberger’s four receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. Whitmore hauled in two passed for 28 yards. Ruzicka snared one for 15 yards and Tyler Greenwalt caught one for 11 yards.

Focus is the theme for this week’s workouts as the Broncos prepare for a road trip to Springdale for a league opener against the Chargers.

“We have had a lot of excuses to lean back on,” Whitmore said. “Warden was our first game and we had two starters out, Kittitas was another story and we still had people out. This week homecoming was our excuse. We’re not going to look ahead or look back. We’re focused on us. Our mentality is every game is a must win. We’re getting healthy. We pretty much have things figured out and know our rotations.”

Springdale comes into the game with a 1-1 record, having lost its opener to Oroville, 19-12, and then defeating Liberty Bell 18-12.

“I like the looks of Springdale on film,” Whitmore said. “They are doing the basics, fundamental stuff.”

Whitmore said the Chargers are a running team, working from the I-formation. They use misdirection and dive plays with some counter passing in the mix.

“A team like Springdale is looking for respect,” Whitmore said. “Nothing can do that quicker than to beat a good team like us. They’re going to be hungry.”

One concern going into Springdale for the Broncos is a long bus ride. The coaches will be working to keep the team energized so they can get down to business early.

“We need to make sure our kids come off the bus ready to play,” Whitmore said.