Broncos defeat Mary Walker 40-0, prep for Okanogan

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos earned a second decisive victory on Friday after going on the road to defeat Mary Walker in Springdale. The LRS team showed their skill and expertise as the team ran to a 40-0 league win.

The game immediately started in the Broncos favor when Dylan Becker ran back the opening kickoff for the first Bronco touchdown. The 80-yard run put the Broncos on the scoreboard within the opening seconds of the game, and Jacob Saetre’s field goal was good to move the team ahead.

Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the team needed the energy from the opening drive to help carry them through the game. On the longer bus trips and against teams the Broncos have an idea they will beat, Whitmore said the Broncos did not come ready to play.

With the fear of playing down to Mary Walker’s level, Whitmore made sure the team kept up the intensity and remained focused on each down. The excitement of each touchdown helped carry the team, and by the third quarter, Whitmore said the Broncos had an opportunity to play junior varsity players for them to gain experience.

Midway through the first quarter, sophomore quarterback Bryce Esser completed a 12-yard pass to connect with Saetre in the end zone. The point after kick was good, moving the Broncos ahead 14-0.

With only 12 seconds left in the first quarter, Esser found Mason Brausen on a 14-yard pass for another Bronco touchdown. The point-after kick from Saetre was good, and helped the Broncos set the tone for the remainder of the game.

At the end of the second quarter, Esser completed a nine-yard pass to Damien Rouleau for another Bronco touchdown. The team attempted a two-point conversion with a run by Peyton Kiel, but Mary Walker held the line, preventing the score.

The Broncos took the field after half with the same intensity, and halfway through the third quarter, Esser connected with Chandler Widman for a 44-yard touchdown. The point after was good, and the Broncos moved ahead 34-0.

Esser completed 15-20 pass attempts during the Mary Walker game, for a total of four touchdowns and 159 yards. Whitmore said the Chargers took away the Broncos running game by packing the box, but Esser handled the pressure well and Whitmore said he grew as an athlete during the league game.

During the next series by Mary Walker, the Chargers were forced to punt to the Broncos. Saetre returned the punt for 73 yards and the final Bronco touchdown of the game. The Chargers blocked Saetre’s field goal kick, moving the score to 40-0.

The 40-point mercy rule went into effect and the game went into a running clock for the last quarter and a half. The junior varsity played the entire fourth quarter for the Broncos, Whitmore said.

The Broncos had 225 yards of total offense, compared to the Chargers with 133. During the game, the Chargers also threw two interceptions and had two lost fumbles. The Broncos never punted during the game, and only had possession for 16 minutes of the game.

Brausen led the team in rushing with 47 yards, followed by Widman with 24 yards. Widman also racked up 58 receiving yards on three receptions, followed by Alan Field with 34 total yards. Andrew Witt earned 21 yards on one reception.

Whitmore said the Broncos tackling and physicality improved since the last game, and the improvement is helping the team prepare to face the defending 2B champions, the Okanogan Bulldogs. Whitmore said for many of the seniors, Okanagan is the only loss they have had during their high school careers and the game should prove to be a battle for both teams.

According to the current polls, the Bulldogs are the second ranked team in the state, followed by the third ranked LRS Broncos. Whitmore said the game would be a great measuring stick for the Broncos to see where they stack up in the state.

Whitmore is looking forward to the Broncos being able to have four solid quarters of play, and competing in a full varsity game. Okanogan runs a 3-4 defense, which is a new formation for the Broncos to play against, and Whitmore said it could be difficult for the Broncos.

The Friday match up will expose weaknesses for the Broncos, Whitmore said, but that creates an opportunity for the team to improve and become a stronger opponent for the remainder of the season. Whitmore said the key to success is for the Broncos to play cohesively as a team and to overcome the adversity.

Overall, Whitmore is really excited to compete against Okanogan as the Broncos need to have a hard, competitive game early in the season.

The Sept. 18 game begins an hour earlier than normal at 6 p.m. at Jimmie Snider Field.