| Pirates
win big at Horseshoe Bend
The Prairie football team had little trouble in their season opener as they rolled to a 51-0 win at Horseshoe Bend Friday, August 24. The game was called at halftime on the 45-point mercy rule. 
Horseshoe Bend didn’t look anything like a team that made it to the state semifinals last year as they apparently had a senior-dominated lineup last season. Horseshoe Bend took the opening kickoff and managed to move the ball down to the Prairie 29 thanks to a 38 yard pass play. The Prairie defense rose up and stopped them there though forcing losses on 4 straight running plays. Prairie took over at their own 38 and took just 7 plays to take the lead. Branden Waller picked up 24 yards on a sweep to the left to put the Pirates on the Mustangs 30 yard line. Kyle Holthaus passed to Conner Rieman for 11 yards the Kyle Daly went right for 12 yards to set up first and goal at the 7. The Mustang defense stiffened, stopping two running plays in a row. On third and goal from the 9, David Sigler ran a slant from the left side across the middle and nobody picked him up defensively. When he caught the pass in the end zone there wasn’t anybody within 5 yards of him. Daly then ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 8-0. Horseshoe Bend’s next possession was 3 plays and punt. Waller took the punt on the Prairie 43, cut to the right and went up the sidelines for 57 yards and a touchdown. Daly again added the 2-point conversion to make it 16-0. The defense again forced a punt but this time the punt rolled out of bounds on the Prairie 11. Daly went right fro 12 yards and Holthaus completed a screen pass to Waller that Waller turned upfield for a 28 yard gain. After an incompletion, the only one of the game for Holthaus, Daly went up the middle for 12 yards.  Waller
then went left with the blockers clearing a huge gap for him to run through.
Waller wound up going 37 yards for another Prairie touchdown. This time
Holthaus kept the ball and took it in for the 2-point conversion to make
it 24-0 40 seconds into the second quarter.
Horseshoe Bend picked up only their second first down of the game on their next possession but the Prairie defense then held again, forcing another punt. A full-out punt block effort led to a rushed punt that went only 10 yards. On the first play from scrimmage, Sigler took a pitchout to the left and gained 36 yards to the 7 yard line. On the next play Sigler ran a sweep to the left for another touchdown. Holthaus passed to Waller for the 2-pointer to make it 32-0. The defense then forced another punt and this time Sigler was back to receive instead of Waller. Sigler took the ball on the Prairie 41, went to the right then cut back to the middle on his way to a 59 yard punt return for a touchdown. The conversion attempt was stopped but Prairie still led 38-0 with 6:45 left in the half. On Horseshoe Bend’s next offensive play, Zach Frei made the first of two interceptions in the game at the Horseshoe Bend 46. He returned to the 39. Prairie had gone to the subs at this point on offense but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Devin Schmidt carried the ball for 8 yards on a sweep to the left and on the next play Jon Rice burst through the middle and went 31 yards for another touchdown. The conversion try failed, intentionally it appeared, to make the score 44-0 with 5:32 left in the half. On Horseshoe Bend’s next pass attempt, Frei made his second interception at the Prairie 31. 
Prairie basically tried not to score again, running dive plays to the middle to run down the clock. Finally with 12 seconds left and a third and 7 at the 32, Schmidt, now in at quarterback, ran a bootleg to the left and went untouched for a touchdown. Mike Matson kicked the extra point to make it 51-0. Horseshoe Bend ran a final offensive play, picking up their third first down of the game on a 14-yard pass. Time ran out on the play and the game was called. Waller wound up as the leading rusher with 61 yards on 2 carries. Schmidt had 59 yards on 4 carries, Sigler 41 on 4 carries, and Daly 32 on 3 carries. Prairie totaled 238 yards rushing on 19 attempts, 12.5 yards per carry. Holthaus completed 3 of 4 pass attempts for 48 yards and a touchdown. Waller caught 1 pass for 28 yards, Rieman 1 for 11 yards and Sigler 1 for 9 yards and a touchdown. Horseshoe Bend had minus 18 yards rushing on 15 carries. They had only 2 running plays that gained yardage and each gained just 1 yard. They completed 4 of 10 passes for 65 yards with 2 interceptions. On defense Waller was the leading tackler with 4½ tackles. Rieman and Daly had 3 tackles each. Jason VonBargen had 2½ tackles with Kyler Shumway, Nick Johnson and Frei having 2 tackles each. Frei also had the 2 interceptions. Prairie has their home and league opener this Friday as they host the Lewis County Eagles at 7 p.m. They are 1-0 on the season. Prairie 16 35 -51 Horseshoe Bend 0 0 - 0 P-Sigler 9 pass from Holthaus (Daly run) P-Waller 57 punt return (Daly run) P-Waller 37 run (Holthaus run) P-Sigler 7 run (Waller pass from Holthaus) P-Sigler 59 punt return (run failed) P-Rice 31 run (run failed) P-Schmidt 32 run (Matson kick)
Camas Prairie Youth Football signups Registration for Camas Prairie Youth Football will be on Thursday, August 30th at 6 p.m. at the Prairie High School Football Field. The league is open to boys and girls in the 3rd through 6th grade in the Cottonwood, Nezperce and Highland School Districts. Registration fee will be $45, which includes helmet, shoulder pads and jerseys. If any questions, call Teel Bruner at 962-5542. PIRATES BOYS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR 2007 31-Lewis County, here 14-Deary, here 21-Timberline, there 28-BYE 12-C.V., there 19-Lapwai, here, Homecoming 26-Kendrick, there 10-Genesee, there 17-Deary, here 24-Timberline, there 15-C.V., there 22-Lapwai, here |
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