Loggers stomp Bonners Ferry in football opener

Before the Loggers football players took the field for the opening game of the season, somebody posted a copy of a sportswriters’ prediction in the locker room for everyone to see: It showed Libby losing to Bonners Ferry by more than 20 points. 

The gesture, intended to rile up the Libby players, had the desired effect as the Loggers cut down the Bonners Ferry Badgers by a score of 19-6 Saturday night in Libby. 

Senior running back Zach Crace had a breakout game behind the solid blocking of the Libby offensive line. He racked up 210 yards on 37 carries, including two touchdown runs. 

Libby Coach Neil Fuller said his team’s post-style offense out of the I-formation is “really running back friendly.”

“Our running backs are going to get a chance to shine,” Fuller said. “Crace is a workhorse. He’s a tough kid, a wrestler. He did a great job of reading his blocks and getting vertical.”

The Loggers defense also shared the spotlight by holding the Badgers scoreless. The Libby offense, however, gave up the Badgers’ only touchdown on an interception return in the fourth quarter. 

The Loggers defense allowed only 143 total yards of offense during the game, while forcing four fumbles, three of which were recovered by the Loggers. 

Crace, who also plays linebacker, was stellar on both sides of the ball as he picked off Bonners Ferry quarterback Jason Shutes two times during the second half.

“We as a coaching staff push hard for them to be very aggressive, very fast and very intense,” Libby defensive coordinator George Mercer said. “That’s what it takes to have a good defense, and I think our kids are doing just that.”

The Loggers don’t have much size this year, with only seven of their 26 players over 200 pounds. But the right attitude and work ethic can go a long way, Mercer said. 

“You have to want to hit somebody to play defense,” Mercer said. “And we have kids like that.”

After a scoreless possession by both teams in the first quarter, Loggers forced a Badger fumble that was recovered by senior linebacker David Winter. The Loggers took advantage of the turnover by rumbling down the field to the Badgers 24-yard line as the first quarter came to a stop. 

On the third play of the second quarter, Crace broke through a pack of defenders to score Libby’s first touchdown, from 16 yards out. The point-after attempt was good, putting the Loggers up 7-0.

The Loggers botched a scoring opportunity late in the second quarter after a 67-yard drive took them to the Badger 10-yard line. With about a minute left in the half, Badgers defenders wrapped up Libby quarterback Dominic Voorhies and stripped the ball away. The fumble was recovered by the Badgers, who took a knee on the next play to end the half. 

The next scoring play came with about 4:30 left in the third quarter. With the Loggers lined up for first-and-10 at their own 15-yard line, Voorhies dropped back to pass, hitting 6-foot-5 sophomore wide receiver Erik Lauer at about the Loggers 40 yard line. Lauer scampered the rest of the way, outdistancing two defenders on his heels, for Libby’s second touchdown. The point-after attempt failed, giving Libby a 13-0 lead. 

The Loggers defense stopped Bonners Ferry on the next drive, forcing a turnover on downs at the Libby 40-yard line that set up Crace’s second touchdown run of the night. Winter ran the ball three times, gaining more than 20 yards on the drive before Crace took over again and pounded into the end zone from four yards out. 

With Libby ahead 19-0 midway through the fourth quarter, Voorhies was intercepted by Badgers’ sophomore linebacker Caleb Harrington, who scampered 52 yards for his team’s only score of the game. 

Crace’s second interception of the night and a fumble recovery by Cooper Brown stopped Bonners Ferry on their next two drives and sealed the score at 19-6.

Fuller said he believes his team has a chance to qualify for the playoffs if they can improve a little each week, stay healthy and avoid getting in any trouble off the field. 

“The key to success this year relies up front with the guys on both sides of the ball,” Fuller said, indicating that his three senior linemen - Austin Marshall, Michael Curtiss and Cooper Brown - will be critical assets this season. “Seven of the 11 years I’ve been here, we’ve been in the playoffs. And I expect our kids to be there this year. If they can improve each week, they’ve got a shot at post-season play.”

The Loggers’ next game will be at Anaconda on Sept. 5.