Running game pounds Blue Devils; Logger 'D' strikes a hard blow
<p>Pass complete to Lane Luscher for a first down second quarter.</p>
<p>Barak Lapka tackles Blake Sylvester fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Jared Winslow puts the hard hit on sophomore Taylor Sylvester in second quarter.</p>
<p>Jared Winslow puts the KO hit on sophomore Taylor Sylvester in second quarter.</p>
<p>Pass complete to junior Skylar Higareda for a first down with 2:55 remaining in first half.</p>
With 365 yards of total offense and four rushing touchdowns, Libby’s 34-12 football victory over the Corvallis Blue Devils was the most impressive win this year, and shows signs of the Loggers’ potential.
Skyler Higareda rushed for 79 yards on 16 carries, scoring twice. DJ Maefau and Patrick Valentine combined for 60 yards and a touchdown apiece, burying Corvallis on the ground.
“Libby absolutely wore us down,” said Blue Devils coach Russ Hendrickson. “Our offensive line was controlling the line of scrimmage in the first half. We just wore down.”
Libby got on the board in the first quarter with a Winslow strike to Lane Luscher, one of his nine receptions for 120 yards in the game.
Winslow had a bit of an off day, connecting on 11 of 21 for 146 yards and three interceptions. Maybe it was some frustration from the picks, maybe just tenacious defense, but Winslow made himself heard.
The play immediately following one interception ended with Winslow cracking into Corvallis wide receiver Taylor Sylvester. Sylvester went down hard and didn’t move.
The medical team rushed on the field and the sophomore wideout woke up after 20 scary seconds of unconsciousness. He was put on a stretcher and taken to St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.
That was one unfortunate incident in an otherwise superb defensive effort that left Libby head coach Neil Fuller pumping his fists on the sideline.
“Our defense played a heck of a game,” Fuller said. “Our kids were playing good, disciplined football.”
The Loggers defense hounded Blue Devil quarterback Branden Butt all night, sacking him twice and ripping up the backfield to the tune of 16 tackles for a loss.
Despite all this, Corvallis actually led Libby 12-7 at the half, thanks to Tanner Palin, the Blue Devil running back who finished with two touchdowns and 88 yards on 13 carries.
The Blue Devils looked bigger and stronger, and it looked like Libby was in for a long night. Instead, the mentioned fatigue set in and Libby’s offense made some adjustments.
“We were flat in the second quarter,” Fuller said. Corvallis plugged in both touchdowns in that quarter. “We wanted to run our option more to the strong side.”
Changing up the direction of the offense paid off, as the split backs were able to keep the defense honest.
“Higareda and Maefau are cut from the same cookie-cutter,” Fuller said. “They are great for what we’re trying to run with our veer.”
The Loggers play Stevensville at home, 7 p.m. Friday. The Yellowjackets blasted the Loggers 40-16 last season.