Davenport takes Homecoming night win from the Broncos

The Davenport Gorillas traveled to Ritzville on Oct. 6 ready to upset the Broncos and take the Homecoming night win. The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague team struggled to jump start their offense, and suffered a 21-0 loss to the league rivals.

Throughout the night, the Broncos made slow progress down field, being forced to punt or turn the ball over on downs. Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the Broncos were outsized and outmatched against the Gorillas, and the team could not move the ball or sustain a run.

On the opposite of the ball, the Broncos defense held strong for the first half, slowing Davenport’s progression down field. Whitmore said the team wanted to force the Gorillas to have to throw the ball, but Davenport only threw two passes during the game.

The Gorillas had a strong running game, and Whitmore said they were focused on stopping Alex Plasensia, Davenport’s leading rusher. The Broncos’ efforts fell short, as Davenport racked up 275 total yards and dominated the time clock. Plasensia ended the night with 169 rushing yards.

Davenport began their road to victory with just under five minutes remaining on the clock in the first quarter when they scored their first touchdown with a successful point after kick. They would go on to score once in the third and fourth quarters as well.

Whitmore said while the Broncos did not make a lot of mistakes during the Friday night match up, Davenport controlled the possession and prevented the LRS team from converting plays on third down. The Broncos ended the night with only eight first downs.

In the final minutes of the game in an act of desperation to put points on the board, the Broncos rushed their offense to move the ball down field. Whitmore said the team made a good effort and ran nice plays, but with under a minute remaining, an interception stopped the drive for the Broncos.

As the LRS team has shown throughout the season, they are not a second half team, Whitmore said. Not only are the players running on fumes by the end of the game, but they are continually outmatched in physical ability by their competitors.

The Broncos struggled against Davenport’s size, and Whitmore said while the size of the competitor cannot change, the amount of effort a team applies in the offseason to build strength can be controlled. Whitmore said the team needs to improve on playing a full game, but the lack of depth prevents the Broncos from rotating bodies in to help keep players fresh.

While the LRS team managed to contain the Gorillas’ defense in the first half, Whitmore said they had difficulties with the Davenport offense. The team likes to run a lot of misdirection and send a lot of lead blockers at the defense, and the Broncos did not have the physicality to stop the rushing plays.

The Broncos ended the night with only 127 total offensive yards, and were led by Mason Brausen in rushing yards with 43. Bryce Kelly threw for 51 yards, with Bryce Esser being in the leading receiver with 14 yards.

The Broncos now set their sights on Springdale on Oct. 13. The Mary Walker team has the same record as the Broncos, 1-5, and Whitmore said both teams are desperate for a win.

The LRS team has a record of slow starts on the Springdale field, and Whitmore is hopeful the team can break the trend and start strong on Friday night. While the Bronco athletes will be motivated for a win, Whitmore said Springdale will not go down without a fight.

The Mary Walker team has tough kids and an effective offense. The Broncos will again be focusing on making the team throw the ball, and Whitmore is hoping for more success than in the previous game.

Whitmore said LRS needs to control the possession and remain patient offensively. Their goal is to keep consistent and attempt to not tire out before the second half.

With only three games remaining in the regular season, Whitmore said the Broncos need the win more than ever. The team needs a confidence boost and a chance to show their ability on the field, and he is hopeful Friday night will be their opportunity.

The Broncos take the field in Springdale at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, before returning back to Ritzville the following week on Oct. 20 for the final home game of the season.