Loggers lose on Senior Night, 48-14
<p>Last time on the home field for these seniors with Zach Crace, left, David Winter, Cooper Brown, Gage Cichosz, Dylon Lane, Michael Curtiss, Isaak Jones and Austin Marshall.</p>
The Libby Loggers football team dropped their last home game of the season Friday to the Polson Pirates, 48-14.
Senior Dylon Lane made his first start at quarterback and led the Loggers (0-2, 2-5) down the field on his first possession. However, a string of first downs were halted when the Pirates (1-2, 3-4) stuffed a Libby run on fourth-and-short.
Polson jumped to a 14-0 first-quarter lead behind a pair of 18-yard touchdown passes from quarterback Walter Duchharme. Libby’s offense showed signs of life, but the Loggers trailed 31-0 at half.
Libby got on the board late in the third when sophomore Braydan Thom threw a 22-yard touchdown to sophomore Brandon Sadewasser. Thom replaced Lane in the second half at quarterback. Thom finished 6-of-12 passing with 49 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
“That was by far Braydan’s best game,” Libby Coach Neil Fuller said. “He was sharp throwing the ball and ran the offense well. That was a really nice touchdown pass to Sadewasser. Having Sadewasser makes a big difference out there.”
While he never found the end zone, Libby running back Zach Crace returned to form with 132 yards rushing on 24 carries. Senior Issak Jones caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from sophomore receiver Erik Lauer when the Loggers ran a wide receiver-reverse pass.
“We told Isaak we would put in that play in August,” Fuller said. “We finally practiced it last week and thought it seemed like a good time to run it. That was cool.”
Danny Digiallonardo led seven Polson rushers with 106 yards on five carries. The Pirates rushed for 311 yards on 38 carries.
Fuller praised the play of his lineman. With limited depth, many of the largest Loggers pull double duty, playing both offense and defense. Fuller said it is all he can expect from a kid to get tired as a game winds on without the adrenaline boosts only scoring can provide.
“The kids competed well, we just weren’t able to get the early points we needed,” Fuller said. “With a new quarterback in there, the blocking was outstanding. And they got Crace the holes he needed for another 100 yards. Those kids on the line played their fannies off.”
The loss on Senior Night was an emotional defeat for the Loggers. There were a few tears in the locker room as the younger players paid tribute to the seniors.
The Loggers travel Friday to Columbia Falls (5-1) for a 7 p.m. kickoff.