Injuries plague the Broncos during league game versus Colfax

Already in a rebuilding year, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos are now making additional changes on the gridiron with the loss of a primary starting athlete. The Broncos faced Colfax on Sept. 23 and suffered a tough league loss of 14-24.

The team rebuilt their offense around sophomore backup quarterback Bryce Kelly, after starting quarterback Bryce Esser suffered a concussion on Sept. 16.

In the second half of the Broncos game against Colfax, Mason Brausen endured a season ending injury.

Brausen serves as a starting running back for the team, and Head Coach Greg Whitmore said Brausen broke his leg while being tackled. Brausen will undergo surgery and be unable to play for the remainder of his junior year football season.

Before Brausen went out with an injury, he posted strong individual efforts and earned the Broncos only two touchdowns of the night. During the first quarter, the Broncos got on the scoreboard first with a 38-yard run by Brausen with 7:09 remaining.

Only two minutes later Brausen ran 46-yards for the Broncos for his second touchdown of the night, and allowed the Broncos to move ahead 14-0 with two successful point after kicks by Piun Prosinecki.

In the second quarter, Colfax made adjustments in their offense and were able to score on their first possession of the quarter.

With three minutes left in the half, Colfax found the end zone for a second time, but two unsuccessful two-point conversions gave the Broncos a halftime advantage of 14-12.

Whitmore said the Broncos went into halftime satisfied with the two-point lead, but knowing they would have to post another successful half to earn the win. Whitmore said the Broncos played harder than they have in any other match, but fatigue got the best of them.

The Broncos made adjustments in the second half to compensate for the loss of Brausen. Unfortunately, Colfax also made changes to their defense, which allowed them to stack the box and put pressure on Kelly.

Senior Damien Rouleau serves as a leader for the team on the field, and the Broncos looked to him in order to help make progress on offense.

Colfax had different plans, adjusting their defense to stop Rouleau’s runs and not allow first down opportunities for the Broncos.

With a young quarterback, Whitmore said they focused on short passes or handoffs to keep him in a more comfortable position without facing heavy pressure. Whitmore said Kelly performed well in the position; the Broncos were just outdone by the Bulldogs effort.

Colfax went on to earn a single touchdown in both the third and fourth quarters, slowly taking the lead away from the Broncos. Whitmore said the Broncos never gave up, but fatigue claimed the team in the second half.

Whitmore said Colfax brought a little more experience and physicality to the field than the Broncos, but Whitmore believes if the Broncos were all competing and healthy, it would have been an even more competitive game.

The Broncos ended the game with 169 total offense yards, 135 of which were rushing. Kelly ended the night with nine completions on 23 passes with no interceptions.

Whitmore said the Broncos made improvements in reducing turnovers with only one fumble in the game. The Bulldogs had four turnovers, three of which were recovered by the Broncos.

Brausen led the team in rushing with 104 yards on 10 carries. Rouleau ended the night with 27 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards.

The Broncos have suffered a string of bad luck with injuries already this season, and Whitmore said the coaching staff is now focusing on rotating positions of athletes on the field while ensuring those athletes are placed somewhere they can succeed.

Whitmore said Colfax was gunning for the win, and the Broncos’ youth and injuries prevented them from posting the game they hoped for. The Broncos started multiple freshmen on both sides of the ball, and Whitmore said that is almost unprecedented for the Broncos football program.

The Broncos return to the home field on Sept. 30 to face one of the league’s top teams: the Liberty Lancers. Whitmore said the Friday game will prove difficult, and the Broncos must stay focused to remain competitive.

After the Liberty game, Whitmore said the Broncos have four more games that should be a competitive and balanced match up. If the Broncos can remain healthy in the upcoming weeks, the team has a chance to add more victories to the win category.

The Broncos are hopeful Esser will return to the gridiron to help the team against Liberty, Whitmore said, but he still has to be cleared to return.

Whitmore said the Broncos’ margin for error is very slim, due to their inexperience and youth. The Broncos will need to play hard against Liberty and focus on improvement in order to be competitive.

The Broncos return to Jimmie Snider Field on Sept. 30 with kick off at 7 p.m.