TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers open up Northwest Conference play at home, dropping their game to the Lewis & Clark River Otters 14-74.
How it Happened
The game was competitive early, as the Loggers were able to respond after the River Otters got off to a 14-0 lead.
Brady Beck got some momentum going with a couple of quick passes to
Billy Hutton and
Dillon Whitfield, gaining some confidence to start the drive.
De'Andre Dukes Jr then found a gap off the left edge for a 15-yard gain, securing the Loggers' longest run of the game to that point. Beck and the Loggers shortly found themselves at a 4th and 5, but converted on a seven yard pass to
Drake Granberry III. Beck connected with Dukes Jr just a couple plays later, threading the needle on a 4th and 4 to pull the Loggers within a touchdown.
Two more River Otter touchdowns saw the quarter finish with the Loggers down 28-7, but the Loggers weren't out of it yet. Beck got the Loggers down the field to start the second quarter, as he connected with Granberry III a pair of times to get the log rolling. Dukes Jr also got going, picking up an important five yards on a fourth down deep into the Loggers' own territory. Beck drove the Loggers down to L&C's 23, but an interception on fourth down turned the ball over to the River Otters.
The defense stepped up on the next drive, as a forced fumble gave the ball back to the Loggers at their own 8 yard line.
Steven Anaya punched the ball out, and
Peyton Damasiewicz jumped on the loose ball to secure the Loggers' first turnover of the game. A safety followed, but the Loggers got the last laugh to end the second quarter. .
The Loggers ran a perfect two-minute drill, receiving the ball with 1:58 left to play in the first half. Beck found Whitfield for 6 yards, and Granberry III for 17, as two plays got Puget Sound into the River Otter's territory. Beck found Whitfield again for a 13 yard gain, and a Dukes Jr run got the Loggers just outside of the red zone. Whitfield made a great catch on the left sideline to put Puget Sound at the two, and Dukes Jr. punched the ball into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day.
The second half was all River Otters, but several Loggers were able to see action on the field.
Isaac Lugo and
Kosuke Toyonaga had a couple of great runs in the fourth quarter, and the Loggers were able to use their depth to finish out the rest of the ball game.
The top performances today came from a couple of key leaders for the Loggers.
Steven Anaya finished with 7 solo tackles, 1 forced fumble, and a pass break-up, Dukes Jr finished with 59 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, and Granberry III had 7 receptions for 78 yards. Despite a couple of stellar individual performances, the Loggers dropped this one 14-74.
What Happens Next
The Loggers head to cross-town rival Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, October 10th. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
