Broncos continue into Crossover game after defeating Reardan

After winning three consecutive games, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos have earned a spot in Crossovers and an opportunity to extend their season.

The Broncos defeated Reardan 27-12 on Oct. 27 in order to continue in postseason play, and Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the team must play flawlessly if they want to move on to playoffs.

Whitmore said the Broncos did not play well overall in the Friday night match up against the Indians, but a strong second quarter performance gave the team the boost they needed. The Broncos also benefitted from Reardan missing two starting athletes, while the LRS team was at full strength and in good health.

The Broncos started of slow and unable to gain momentum in the game. Whitmore said the team left too many plays, and missed three scoring opportunities on offense.

The defensive performance was stronger in the last three quarters of the game, Whitmore stated. The Broncos defense gave up a 40-yard touchdown to the Indians late in the first quarter, but shored by the defensive effort after that error, he added.

Whitmore said it was frustrating to have so many negative plays on offense. The team did not convert plays and lost yardage due to poor execution.

The Broncos posted a strong second quarter performance, netting 20 of the team’s 27 points for the night.

The scoring drive began with a 15-yard pass play from Bryce Kelly to Easton Nelson. Kelly then connected with Camden Smith on the two-point conversion to move the Broncos ahead, 8-6.

Midway through the quarter, Mason Brausen scored on a four-yard run. The two-point conversion attempt fell short, but the Broncos found their way to the end zone once more before halftime.

With only 22 seconds remaining until half, Kelly completed a 14-yard pass play to Bryce Esser. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but the Broncos maintained a 20-6 advantage at halftime.

While the Broncos were able to hold Reardan scoreless for the entire third and the majority of the fourth quarter, Whitmore said the team’s efforts came up short. The team had multiple opportunities to score in the fourth quarter, he stated, but could not convert.

Whitmore said while the performance was not an issue to secure the win, it does make a difference against a stronger opponent. Moving into the Crossover game, Whitmore said the Broncos cannot afford missed plays and opportunities.

The Broncos scored once in the third quarter with another pass from Kelly, this time to Austin Thompson for a 35-yard touchdown. Shontz Yaeger hit the point after kick, and the Broncos held a 27-6 advantage.

On the last play of the game, Reardan snuck into the end zone for a final score, but it was not enough to disrupt the Broncos’ advantage.

Whitmore said the Broncos were able to limit turnovers, but did have one interception in the end zone. The Broncos battled with mental issues throughout the night, resulting in multiple penalties and loss of yardage for the team.

The Broncos dominated the field in yardage, racking up 324 total offensive yards compared to Reardan’s 178. LRS split their offensive attack with passing and rushing, and allowed the team with an opportunity to diversify their attack.

Kelly ended the night with 14 pass completions for three touchdowns and 165 yards .Thompson served as the Broncos’ leading receiver with 71 yards, followed by Esser with 50 yards.

Brausen dominated the Broncos’ running game, rushing for 110 yards on 21 carries. Nelson, who recently moved into the full back and lead blocker position, posted a strong performance with a touchdown and interception.

The win moves the Broncos into the Crossover game to face the league’s top competitor: the Liberty Lancers. Whitmore said the Lancers are number one of the reason, and they are a consistent team who can run and throw the ball well.

They competed in the championship game last season, and still retain a lot of the size and physicality from the previous year’s team. Whitmore said the game will be a huge challenge for the Broncos, and they need to play well and execute on the field if they want their season to continue into playoffs.

Coming off of three consecutive wins, Whitmore said the Broncos are excited, but also realize their performance was lackluster against Reardan. Over the course of the season, the LRS team has suffered multiple close-game losses, and Whitmore hopes the team’s luck is finally changing.

Against Liberty, Whitmore said the Broncos will have to play a near flawless game. The key will be consistency and efficiency on making throws, catches, tackles and blocks, he stated.

The last time the two teams met, the Broncos suffered from two key players leaving the game due to injury and quickly wore down as the struggled to fill the vacant positions.

Whitmore said the team needs to focus on offense, defense and special teams, and prevent scoring opportunities and big plays from Liberty. The team who makes the least amount of mistakes will come out victorious, Whitmore predicted.

The Broncos also have to consider Liberty’s home field advantage, as the team will make the trek to compete there on Nov. 3. Kick off is set for 6 p.m.