Broncos defeat Kettle Falls, prep for final league game versus Reardan

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos honored their seniors by recording a substantial win against the Kettle Falls Bulldogs in the team’s final home game of the season on Oct. 20.

The Broncos dominated the Friday night competition, which resulted in the second consecutive win for the team and the first home game win this season with the 52-14 victory.

While the Bulldogs started with possession at the beginning of the game, the Broncos truly controlled the game from the start. After forcing the Bulldogs to punt after three quick possessions, the Broncos ran the ball into the end zone on their first drive.

Mason Brausen ran the ball 26 yards for the first Broncos touchdown, but the point after kick missed the mark for the team.

The Broncos’ defense remained strong, again forcing the Bulldogs to punt midway through the first quarter. Austin Thompson recorded a 54-yard punt return for the Broncos, and Shontz Yaeger hit the point after kick to move the Broncos ahead by 13.

The LRS team’s dominance on the field continued as the Bulldogs attempted to gain yardage. The Broncos’ defense prevented substantial gains, while the team’s offense took advantage of every possession to earn points for the Broncos.

With three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Bryce Kelly connected with Easton Nelson for a Broncos touchdown. This was Nelson’s first-ever touchdown in his career, and he was one of the nine seniors recognized prior to the game that evening.

Yaeger completed another successful point after kick, and the Broncos returned to show their strength on defense.

The Broncos also began to rotate in younger athletes and junior varsity players late in the first quarter to gain experience.

Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the game provided all of the athletes with an opportunity to compete in a varsity game, as well as allow the Broncos’ varsity athletes to relax and be at full strength for their upcoming game.

The Broncos concluded the first quarter with another touchdown, again by Brausen on a 15-yard run. The team moved into the second quarter with a 26-0 advantage.

Thompson started the second quarter with a 37-yard run for an additional Broncos touchdown.

Whitmore said the junior varsity athletes played the majority of the second quarter and were able to contain the Bulldogs. The teams exchanged possessions and made slight gains down field, but neither team scored again prior to halftime.

With a 32-point lead to begin the second half, Whitmore allowed the varsity athletes to return to the gridiron for a few possessions. Brausen returned the kickoff for a 79-yard run for the Broncos, and the team moved ahead 38-0, falling short of the 40-point deficit.

Midway through the third, Spencer Gering ran 25 yards for another Broncos touchdown, and moved the game into running clock because of breaking the 40-point difference.

Kettle Falls earned their first points of the game less than a minute later, and would proceed to score once more prior to the end of the third quarter.

The Broncos maintained their 44-14 advantage until late in the fourth quarter, when Ray Melville ran one-yard for a touchdown. Conrad Ziemer ran in the two-point conversion, and the Broncos ended the night with 52 points.

Whitmore said the Broncos did a good job of controlling the tempo of the game and remaining composed. He was grateful the LRS athletes played at a higher caliber instead of playing at a lower level and not taking the competition seriously.

Kettle Falls has been plagued with injuries this season, Whitmore explained, which caused them to forfeit a game earlier in the season. He extended his thanks to the Kettle Falls program for coming to Ritzville to compete, and allowing the junior varsity athletes to compete in a strong and balanced game.

The Broncos had a strong performance throughout the evening, Whitmore said. It was first game of the season where the team performed well on offense, defense and special teams.

Drew Kelly led the Broncos in passing, racking up 87 yards on five completions. Brausen led in rushing with 41 yards, closely followed by Thompson with 37 and Ziemer with 36.

Spencer Gering ended the night with 44 receiving yards for the Broncos, followed by Carson Ayers with 37 yards.

The LRS team also reduced the amount of penalties and turnovers during the Kettle Falls game, and Whitmore hopes they can continue this trend into the upcoming game against Reardan.

With a loss last week against Wilbur-Creston, Reardan and LRS both need the Friday night win to move into the Crossover games the following week. Whitmore said this is a crucial game for the Broncos, and an opportunity for them to progress into postseason competition.

Whitmore is hoping the Broncos will be able to keep their momentum from the past two wins and play another solid game. With the varsity athletes well rested and at full strength, Whitmore is optimistic it will assist them with earning a victory.

Reardan is primarily a running team, Whitmore explained, and very powerful at running the ball at their opponent. They have earned wins this season by being the more physical team, but Whitmore said the Broncos are in a good position to prevent them from having the advantage.

The Broncos go on the road to face Reardan on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

A win will move them into the Crossover game, where they will likely face Wilbur-Creston. A loss will prevent them from postseason competition, but Whitmore said they should have an opportunity to play one final game the following week.