Broncos suffer season opener loss on the road against Asotin

The first game of the season did not go in favor of the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos, as they went on a long road trip to face the Asotin Panthers on Sept. 1. Prior to Friday’s game, Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the Broncos would have to play a nearly perfect game to earn the win over Asotin.

Whitmore said the game quickly fell in Asotin’s favor, with the Panthers marching down the field quickly after the opening kickoff. The Broncos struggled to contain them, and the LRS defense did not provide much resistance against the Panthers drive, Whitmore stated.

The Broncos continued to make progress down the field offensively, but Whitmore said the team continually turned the ball over on downs.

In the first half, the Broncos had multiple opportunities to tie the game or take the lead, but mistakes and penalties prevented them from scoring until the second quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Bryce Esser and Bryce Kelly completed a double pass play to post the first points for the Broncos. Esser connected with Shontz Yaeger for a 40-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt from Esser to Camden Smith was no good.

The Broncos tried the game and Whitmore said they had a nice defensive stand for about half of the second quarter. But their efforts fell just short of being able to contain Asotin, who jumped out to a substantial lead by halftime.

Halfway through the second quarter, Asotin scored on a 20-yard pass play, with a successful extra point kick. Just before the horn sounded for halftime, Asotin snuck back into the end zone on a 54-yard pass play with another successful point after kick.

With a 20-6 scoring deficit at halftime, Whitmore said the Broncos needed to remain aggressive and focused on preventing Asotin’s long drives. They discussed improvements in tackling on defense, and working to push the ball down the field offensively, without turnovers.

But Asotin took the field with a renewed intensity and quickly went up another seven points off of a 16-yard run. Within two minutes of the score, the Panthers again brought the ball down field and scored another seven-points.

Already plagued with injuries, Whitmore said he pulled the varsity team and allowed the junior varsity playing time, starting midway through the third quarter. The JV team played well and gained valuable experience, while letting the varsity rest and not risk additional injury.

In the fourth quarter, Conrad Ziemer scored on a three-yard run, but the Broncos failed to convert on the two-point conversion play.

With only seconds on the clock, the Broncos scored another touchdown from a 47-yard pass play from Drew Kelly to Carson Ayers. Drew Kelly also successfully ran the ball in for the two-point conversion.

Whitmore said the Broncos had their moments of strength while playing against one of the league’s top teams, but the Broncos had multiple turnovers that occurred at crucial moments and prevented the LRS team from staying in the game.

The margin of error for the team was extremely slim, Whitmore stated, and with multiple injuries on the Broncos team, it became even smaller.

On Friday night, the Broncos were without Spencer Gering, while Bryce Esser and Spencer Miller exited the game with injuries.

Mason Brausen is also fighting against last year’s leg injury, and played limited minutes for the Broncos in an effort to keep him healthy.

Whitmore said going on the road to face a top team with a lack of depth of athletes proved to be the deciding factor of the game. While the Broncos had moments of success, Whitmore said there is a lot of room for improvement and the team is looking at having to make adjustments in the lineup during upcoming games.

Bryce Kelly continued to step up as a leader for the Broncos by having a good throwing night, Whitmore said. He ended the night with 16 completed passes for a total of 102 yards, with only one interception.

Whitmore said the Broncos focused more on pass plays because of the lack of depth of athletes to compete in the running game.

He added while Austin Thompson is a capable and strong running back, he did not want to put Thompson at risk of injury or wear him down during the season opener. Thompson recorded 55 receiving yards on eight catches, and 32 rushing yards.

The game ultimately came down to strength and intensity, Whitmore said. The Broncos were the less physical team, and had multiple missed tackles along with struggling to get off blocks, he added.

The Broncos ended the night with 200 receiving yards and 141 rushing yards. Asotin found their primary strength was in rushing, and accumulated 239 rushing yards during the game.

While the Broncos only recorded four turnovers during the match up, Whitmore said they occurred at potential turning points for the team. They are remaining focused on protecting the ball and remaining patient on offense during the upcoming week of practice.

The Broncos are scheduled to go on the road again on Sept. 8 to face Wilbur-Creston. With the poor air quality, Whitmore said there is a chance the game could be postponed.

The air quality levels are recording as hazardous or extremely unsafe, causing the Broncos to practice indoors for the duration of the week.

Whitmore said both WC and the Broncos suffered a loss during the previous week, and both teams will be hungry for a win. It will be a challenge for the Broncos, he added, as the Wildcats like to spread the field and throw.