BRONCOS: Undefeated, undisputed league champions

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos are a tight knit, talented group of athletes.

Tuesday night they recorded their 21st consecutive win, sealing the deal on another undefeated regular season, claiming ownership of their second league championship and launching a run at the WIAA 2B State Football Championship.

Tuesday, the Broncos met the Colfax Bulldogs to play the previously cancelled league game. The game was originally slated for Friday, Oct. 25, but was delayed due to a lack of officials.

Despite the delay, the outcome was as expected. The dominant Northeast 2B League Broncos rolled to a 39-0 win over the Bulldogs.

It wasn’t as easy as some might have expected. The Broncos got a slower than usual start, scoring just once in the first quarter.

Ryan Whitmore put six points on the board with 7:27 left in the first quarter on a 14-yard pass play from Dylan Hartz. Matt Leffel’s extra point kick was good.

Colfax wasn’t willing to lie down early in the game and gave the Broncos fits. There were times when the Broncos were struggling to execute. But by the second quarter, the wheels were turning.

Whitmore scored his second of three touchdowns with 8:44 left in the first half when Hartz delivered a 32-yard pass play. The kick was no good and the Broncos took a 13-0 lead.

Connor O’Neill got into the act, snaring another Hartz pass and rambling 49 yards for a score. The two-point conversion failed as the Broncos moved ahead 19-0.

Whitmore sealed the first half scoring summary with a reception in the front corner of the end zone with 15 seconds left. The Broncos had made it to the Bulldog’s one-yard line, but a series of penalties pushed them into a fourth down and 11 yards to go situation. Hartz found his man and delivered a nice toss to Whitmore.

In the second half both teams brought out their reserves, knowing they will both play again this Friday in the District 7/9 Crossover Playoff.

The Broncos continued their scoring when quarterback Jacob Saetre hit Bridger Smith for a 24-yard pass play.

The final score of the night came in the fourth quarter when Damien Rouleau excited the crowd with a 39-yard run that produced six more points for the Broncos.

For the game, Hartz completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 159 yards and four touchdowns. Saetre completed a pair of passes for 25 yards and a score.

Whitmore finished with three touchdown catches and 73 yards on five receptions.

Rouleau was the team’s leading rusher with 60 yards on 12 carries. Cort Ruzicka racked up 53 yards on five carries and O’Neill had 46 yards on eight carries.

“We weren’t as sharp as we could have been,” head coach Greg Whitmore said of the game. “But Colfax scouts us well and they created blitzes and reads that were a challenge.”

Last Friday, the Broncos were on the road for a league session with Liberty. Missing from the game night roster were a few key players: Hartz, Ruzicka, Tyler Frederick, Hugh Hennings and Tyler O’Brien.

You wouldn’t have noticed as the Broncos posted 34 points in the first quarter and won the game 41-8.

O’Neill put on a rushing clinic with three touchdowns in the game. He started things with a 35-yard run. Leffel’s kick was good.

O’Neill then went 41 yards for a score. Leffel’s kick was good.

Whitmore then blocked a Liberty punt and Dane Wahl picked it up in the end zone for a touchdown. Leffel’s kick gave the Broncos a 21-0 lead.

O’Neill delivered his third score with a 31-yard burst on a punt return. The kick missed as the Broncos rolled to a 27-0 lead.

Smith provided the next score on a 24-yard jaunt. Leffel’s kick was good,

In the second quarter, Smith picked off a Liberty pass and carried it in from 24 yards out. Leffel’s extra point would be the Broncos’ final score of the night.

For the game, Saetre was two for two passing for 17 yards.

O’Neill had 96 yards rushing on three carries.

Smith finished with 52 yards on six carries.

Andrew Witt recorded 50 yards on nine attempts and Rouleau went 36 yards on seven carries.

This Friday the Broncos were due to meet District Nine’s Dayton. That team, which has won just one game this year, is down to 13 players with five freshmen. The Dayton coach opted to forfeit the game.

Whitmore said the Broncos could have accepted the forfeit and not played on Friday. However, he said that would be a long break before the first round of state playoffs next weekend.

Instead, with the blessing of the league and the districts, the Broncos will host Northwest Christian on Friday for the District Crossover Playoff game.

After that, the Broncos will meet the winner of DeSales and Davenport in the first round of the state football bracket. That game will be played in Ritzville. The day and time have not yet been announced.

After Tuesday’s win Whitmore gathered the team and reminded them that the road ahead is a brand new season.

“I told them that now every game we play is a loser out,” he said. “We have to make sure we improve. We have to get the rust off and sharpen up.

“We have to take the playoff mentality that no matter who we play, we have to understand how important that game is,” he continued.

“We know game in and game out each team will give us their best shot. We have to come out of the game feeling good about ourselves.”