Broncos secure nonleague win against Okanogan

After a 36-game winning streak, last season the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos faced their first loss in the 2B semifinals against Okanogan. The Broncos had an opportunity for retribution during a nonleague contest against the Bulldogs in Ritzville on Friday night.

The Broncos secured a hard-fought win on Sept. 18 when they defeated the defending state champions 28-21.

The back and forth match quickly went in favor of the Bulldogs when Okanogan scored on a 72-yard run on the opening play of the game. The Broncos refused to allow Okanogan to set the tempo of the game and quickly responded with an 88-yard kickoff return by Alan Field.

“Special teams has been good for us this year,” Head Coach Greg Whitmore said. “They’ve scored touchdowns in almost every game and have had good returns to set up touchdowns.”

Whitmore said the kickoff return was what the Broncos needed to stay in the game. The team had multiple chances to give up throughout the game, but Whitmore said the team battled despite the adversity.

The second quarter went in favor of the Broncos with two touchdown pass completions by Bryce Esser.

During the game, Esser threw three touchdown passes. He completed 12-26 passes, and had three interceptions, and Whitmore was proud of the sophomore’s performance during his third varsity game.

Esser completed the first pass to Dylan Becker on a nine-yard play, and Jacob Saetre ran the two-point conversion in for the Broncos.

With 28 seconds left in the half, Esser connected with Field on an 18-yard pass play. Saetre’s extra point kick was good and the Broncos went into halftime leading Okanogan 21-7.

The Bulldogs came out of halftime strong, controlling the pace of the game and making gradual progress up the field. Four minutes into the quarter, the Bulldogs scored on a six-yard touchdown run and a successful point after kick.

After holding the Broncos to fourth down at midfield, the Bulldogs scored on their next possession. With just under five minutes left in the quarter, Okanogan tied the game with a 29-yard touchdown pass.

The game remained locked at 21 points for the remainder of the third quarter. The Broncos continued to attempt to break through and gain the lead, but were held back by the Bulldogs defense and multiple penalties.

Throughout the game the Broncos were plagued by penalties. The team had nine penalties for a total of 80 yards. Whitmore said the Broncos’ top priorities in the upcoming games are to reduce penalties and eliminate turnovers.

Early in the fourth quarter, Esser hit Damien Rouleau for a 27-yard touchdown pass, moving the Broncos into the lead. Saetre’s point after kick completion moved the Broncos ahead 28-21.

For the Okanogan game, Rouleau moved to offense for the first time this season and proved to be an asset to the team. Chandler Widman moved to defense, and Whitmore said the change helped make the Broncos’ offense and defense stronger.

The Bulldogs made a march down the field during the next possession, but the Broncos defense was able to prevent the Okanogan team from reaching the end zone. After struggling with pass coverage earlier in the game, the Broncos had made rotations to prevent Okanogan’s pass plays and kept the quarterback scrambling to find an open man.

The pressure from the Broncos defense resulted in a fumble by the Bulldogs, giving the Broncos possession and an opportunity to take time off the clock. The Bulldogs would make one more steady run towards the end zone, but the Broncos remained vigilant defensively and Okanogan turned the ball over on downs during the final minutes of the game.

Both teams had 56 total plays during the game, and Okanogan had 315 yards of offense compared to the Broncos with only 145.

Esser ended the night with 96 total yards passing. Mason Brausen led the team in rushing yards with 35, followed by Saetre who had 25 yards.

Rouleau led the team with 34 receiving yards, closely followed by Andrew Witt with 30 yards. Field ended the night with 23 receiving yards. During the game, Rouleau punted five times for the Broncos for a total of 172 yards, averaging 34 yards per punt.

The Broncos go on the road Friday night to face Wilbur-Creston. The Wildcats moved up a division last year, and Whitmore said this is the first time since 2006 the team has had to travel to Wilbur.

Whitmore said it is crucial for the team to remain vigilant and focused during the upcoming contest. He said sometimes teams come off of a big victory and it can result in a loss in the next game, but he is determined for the Broncos to overcome adversity again.

Offensively, Whitmore is looking for the team to improve at running the ball and defensively he said the team is going to need to remain sound and read the option plays.

The Broncos take the field against Wilbur-Creston at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25. Next week the Broncos host Northwest Christian for the Homecoming game on Oct. 2.