Football: Ronan downs Loggers in conference shootout

Taking advantage of a power football mentality along with nifty misdirection plays, Ronan lit up the scoreboard on Friday night in a 70-36 victory over Libby.

Head coach Neil Fuller said he knew right away after Ronan’s first drive that his team would need to match the opponent in terms of touchdowns.

“They didn’t throw the ball much and come at you with multiple blockers and we just don’t have a physical bunch,” Fuller said. ‘That’s where we’re at with our developmental stage.”

Fullback Xavier Morigeau could not be stopped with 344 yards rushing on 44 carries and six touchdowns.

“He can power the football but really has good feet with breakaway speed,” Fuller said. “He had several long runs.”

Libby scored first on a 9-yard pass from Kelly May to Alex Cislo and Ronan countered with two long TD runs. T.J. Benson also found the end zone in the first quarter on a 3-yard pass from May and the Loggers trailed, 16-14.

“I knew we had to match score for score in the first half,” Fuller said. “We ended up having a couple of picks early on and a couple of drops and that put us in a hole.”

Ronan scored again before the close of the first quarter to take a 22-14 lead. By halftime, the advantage was extended to 30-14.

In the third quarter, the two teams combined for 54 points. Libby scored on a 16-yard pass from May to Benson, an 80-yard kickoff return by Tyler Troy and a 25-yard pass from Micah Germany to Cislo.

Fuller said May left the game with an injury and expected to start Germany in this week’s finale vs. Lethbridge.

“Micah Germany stepped right in and showed a lot of poise,” Fuller said. “He threw some great balls and had some nice runs.”

May completed 16-of-32 passes for 246 yards, three TDs and three interceptions. Germany completed 7-of-10 for 125 yards and one TD. Benson led the receiving corps with eight catches for 121 yards. Cislo finished with six receptions for 98 yards and Troy caught three balls for 45 yards. Kody Berget and Dietrich Coleman each had a pair of receptions.

Kaila Forster extended her extra-point kicking streak to 19 with two more PATs against the Vikings. Forster holds the Class A state record for consecutive PATs by kicking.

The Loggers (0-4 in league, 1-7 overall) finish the season Friday at home against Lethbridge.

“Whether we win or lose, it’s important for us to play well,” Fuller said. “The boys have gotten better all year and we took a step backward at Ronan in some respects.”

Fuller expects a good matchup against Lethbridge, who earlier this year tied Bonners Ferry, Idaho.