Anaconda rolls over Loggers, 41-0

The Libby Loggers were dealt their first loss of the football season Friday night in Anaconda. And it was a doozy.

Coming off of an opening-game victory over Bonners Ferry on Aug. 30, the Loggers got trounced by Anaconda, 41-0.

Anaconda jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 26-0 at halftime. Two more touchdowns in the third quarter and a safety in the fourth quarter sealed the score.

The Loggers were held to 130 yards of total offense during the game. The Libby defense gave up more than 466 yards to Anaconda.

"It was a complete reversal from the first game," Libby Coach Neil Fuller said. "The score was not indicative of our team at all.

"But it could be a blessing in disguise - I mean, you don’t ever want to go anyplace and get your butt kicked - but it showed the kids that we aren’t that good of a football team yet and have room for improvement."

Fuller said there were enough positive moments in the game for his team to see their own potential, despite the score.

"There were times when we were really pushing them around up front," Fuller said. "But there were very few plays where we had all 11 players on the field on the same wavelength."

One highlight, Fuller said, was the performance of senior defensive lineman Michael Curtiss. Fuller said Curtiss played hard on every down.

"Defensive linemen, that’s a down and dirty position to play. They don’t get a lot of credit," Fuller said. "But if they can control the line of scrimmage, it makes all the difference in the world. On one play, Curtiss drove the center back so far - they tried running a draw play - and he drove the center into the running back so hard that the running back fell down. He gets credit for the tackle and he didn’t even touch the kid."

The Loggers notched 112 yards on 20 rushing plays and 20 yards on the 4-for-20 performances of quarterbacks Domenic Voorhies and Bradan Thom.

Zach Crace, Libby’s star halfback, completed his second game in a row with more than 100 yards rushing. He tallied 101 yards on 11 carries for an average of 9.2 yards per carry.

Libby fullback David Winter did not play after getting in trouble during the first game against Bonners Ferry.

Fuller said the coaches are still trying to determine which players should be at each position, and some changes on the starting lineup are likely.

"We’re still trying to figure out our kids," he said. "We’re going to be moving some kids around as we are learning more and more about them. So, we are excited."

The Loggers will host Hamilton at 7 p.m. Friday.