Broncos trample Davenport in season opener

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos quickly made their presence known in the season opener and first league game of the season on Friday, Sept. 4. The Broncos ran out to an early lead, scoring on the first possession of the game against the Davenport Gorillas.

The LRS team hosted the Gorillas and proved early in the game the Broncos are a competitive team. The Broncos won the league match up 46-14.

Head Coach Greg Whitmore said that while the team expected to earn the win, he was pleased the Broncos came out strong and won the first game of the season. The Davenport Gorillas made it into the quarterfinals last year, Whitmore said, so he was happy the Broncos proved to be competitive from the first possession on Friday night.

During the course of the game, LRS had 327 yards of total offense, compared to 195 yards for Davenport. The Broncos rushed for 258 yards, while the Gorillas had 153 total rushing yards.

Jacob Saetre ran into the end zone with only 19 seconds off the clock in the first quarter, running 6 yards for the first Bronco points. Saetre also made the point after kick, moving the Broncos in front 7-0.

Sophomore quarterback Bryce Esser found Dylan Becker in the end zone during the Broncos’ next possession for an 11-yard touchdown. Saetre missed the point after kick, moving the score to 13-0.

Before the quarter closed out, Saetre ran for 18 yards for another Bronco touchdown, but missed the point after kick. The Broncos moved into the second quarter with a 20-0 lead over Davenport.

Halfway through the second quarter, Esser connected with Damien Rouleau for a 25-yard touchdown play. The kick after was blocked.

During his first game as a varsity starter, Esser completed six of 11 attempts for a total of 64 yards and two touchdowns.

Saetre would run the ball in for the Broncos two more times during the second quarter, and the Broncos led 39-0 at halftime. Saetre ended the night rushing 179 yards on nine carries.

In the third quarter, Mason Brausen scored a 19-yard touchdown for the Broncos with only three minutes off the clock in the second half. Saetre made the extra point kick, and the Broncos moved ahead 46-0.

Because of the 40-point mercy rule, the remainder of the game was running clock. The Broncos’ varsity athletes had the opportunity to rest, while the junior varsity athletes took the field for the majority of the second half.

“It’s fun to get up big and get the younger guys in,” Whitmore said. “That’s the beauty of the 40-point mark.”

In the fourth quarter, Davenport’s varsity scored twice against the Broncos junior varsity: once off a 60-yard run and another off a two-yard run. The pair of touchdowns brought the final game score to 46-14.

While the Davenport game allowed the Broncos to play against another team, Whitmore said the varsity team needs to play a full game before he knows what to fully expect from the season. He likes giving the younger athletes an opportunity to develop as athletes, but said with tough competition in the upcoming games, the Broncos need to play a full, competitive varsity game.

Whitmore said the focus is remaining on conditioning and rotating players into the game to keep a balance and allow athletes time to rest. Whitmore also said the team needs to improve on punt returns and holding blocks better.

Compared to the Jamboree, Whitmore said the Bronco defense has improved, both in terms of tackling and physicality. He said the defense will continue to emphasis moving to the ball and coming off the line strong, but he is confident in the line and is glad the team has size this year.

On offense, Whitmore said Esser proved to be confident and calm in his first debut as quarterback for the Broncos.

The Broncos are focusing on running the ball nearly two-thirds of the time during games, and Whitmore said even during the Davenport game, Esser only had one interception.

The Broncos are focusing on running this season because of the strength and agility of the offensive line. Whitmore said he likes having that line of force, and it could prove difficult for opponents to break through the lineman this season.

The LRS team is set to face Springdale on the road on Friday, Sept. 11, for the second game of the season. Whitmore said the team also runs an I-formation and runs the ball a lot, and the team needs to focus on executing well and constantly improving.