LRS squeeze past Mabton to compete in quarterfinals

The Mabton Vikings threatened to upset the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos’ undefeated season on Friday night when the two teams met up in the 2B State Playoffs. The Broncos squeezed past Mabton with a 21-7 victory.

The Broncos hosted the Vikings in the First Round playoff duel on Nov. 13, and the Mabton team quickly proved why they were worthy of the competition and should not be looked past.

Head Coach Greg Whitmore said Mabton was not a good match up for the Broncos, and one a lot of the Bronco athletes probably overlooked. Whitmore said the team suffered from a lack of mental focus and looking too far forward instead of focusing on the current match up.

The Broncos struggled to contain Vikings quarterback and all-around athlete Roy Zavala. The LRS squad had attempted to practice for the match up against Zavala, but he proved to be quicker and had a strong ability to avoid the tackle, Whitmore said.

The two teams remained locked in a scoreless battle until midway through the second quarter when Mabton’s Max Ruiz scored on a three-yard run. The touchdown gave the Vikings a 7-0 advantage, which they would carry until 7:20 left in the third quarter.

The Broncos had an opportunity to tie the ball game in the final seconds leading up to halftime, but three incomplete passes at the goal line gave Mabton the first half lead.

In the first half, the Broncos struggled to maintain consistent offense and make tackles defensively. Sophomore Quarterback Bryce Esser played in his first state playoff game and battled nerves early in the game.

The Broncos made multiple adjustments in the second half, including moving Jacob Saetre into the quarterback position for a portion of the second half. Whitmore said the team needed the senior leadership of Saetre to help move the Broncos back on track for the playoff victory.

Andrew Witt upset the Mabton lead and tied the game on a three-yard run in the third quarter, followed by the point-after kick by Saetre. Saetre would hit all three of the extra point kicks during the evening.

The tie game slowly helped the Broncos ease into a more consistent and confident game. The momentum for the team finally took a positive turn midway through the third when Alan Field snagged a Mabton pass attempt and ran it to the end zone for a Broncos touchdown.

Field had a solid game defensively, helping lead the team in pass coverage and ending the game with two interceptions.

The interceptions helped the Broncos come back into the game and increase the intensity level. The Broncos applied defensive pressure, causing Zavala to scramble and lose yardage on incomplete passes and sacks.

Saetre rounded out the Broncos’ 21 unanswered points in the third quarter with a 35-yard run. Saetre ended the night with 72 rushing yards and 65 passing yards.

Consistently throughout the game, the Broncos failed to respond to the Vikings slant defense at the line of scrimmage. Whitmore said while the Broncos had the size advantage in the Friday night contest, the Vikings proved to be superior with quickness and causing problematic situations for the Broncos.

The Vikings and Broncos had a balanced night offensively, as Mabton racked up 281 total offensive yards to the Broncos 288. The Vikings had a stronger passing game, earning 209 total passing yards off of 15 completions. The Broncos had 183 passing yards from 21 completions, and no interceptions.

The LRS squad also proved to work against themselves during the state playoff game. The Broncos racked up 10 penalties, costing the team 95 accumulative yards. The Broncos also racked up six fumbles, only losing possession on one of the errors.

Whitmore said fumbles prove to be one of the hardest errors to bounce back from, as each fumble results in a loss of possession, loss of yards or a sack. The Broncos have to remain vigilant on eliminating these mistakes and win the turnover battle in the upcoming playoff game, Whitmore said.

Overall, the team suffered from numerous mistakes, Whitmore said. While the penalties and six fumbles during the game are not a positive aspect of the Broncos playoff experience, Whitmore hopes the mistakes show the team the need for improvement on the fundamentals going into the quarterfinals.

The Broncos are preparing to face the defending state champions the Okanogan Bulldogs. The two teams faced each other in the semifinals last year, with the Bulldogs knocking the Broncos out of the playoff competition.

The two teams met earlier in the season when the Broncos earned a 28-21 victory in the nonleague contest. The Broncos are determined to earn the opportunity to continue in state playoffs and knock the Bulldogs out of the run for the trophy.

“It’s a tremendous challenge,” Whitmore said about the Okanogan game. “We’re going to have to play awfully well to get the win. But we know what we have to do to get better.”

While the Broncos played the Bulldogs earlier this season, the Broncos did not have a full look at the Okanogan team. The Bulldogs had multiple starting athletes out with injuries, and all of those running backs have now returned at full strength for Okanogan.

Whitmore said the team has to remain focused and play smart from the first possession of the game. If the Broncos can remain mentally focused and eliminate unnecessary errors, the LRS team should be able to evenly match and overcome the Bulldogs during the game.

Though the Broncos size proved as a disadvantage during the Mabton game, Whitmore said it proves to be an asset in the Okanogan game as the two teams match up well.

Okanogan has a strong running game, and the Broncos forced them to rely on passing points during the first game this season.

Whitmore said the Broncos’ first goal is to contain the Bulldogs running game. This will force the Bulldogs to drop into their passing game, and Whitmore said strong defensive pressure and improved pass coverage will prove to be the keys to success for the Broncos.

The Broncos face Okanogan on the same field they matched up in the semifinals last year. The rematch proves to be the opportunity for the Broncos to earn retribution for last season and earn a chance to continue in the playoffs.

The LRS team faces Okanogan at 7 p.m. in Moses Lake on Lions Field on Nov. 20.