Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Wolverines strike early, often in 42-14 rout

Six TDs, tough defense give WRHS momentum heading into Homecoming


By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

His Wood River teammates, including Erik Jacobson (left) and Houston Shaw, help Anthony Quarles (right) celebrate his 12-yard TD interception return just 14 seconds into Friday's 42-14 Wolverine victory over American Falls. Photo by Willy Cook

Hungry for a convincing win and determined to have a strong start, the Wood River High School varsity football team listened to one final comment from head coach Mike Glenn before taking the field Friday against the American Falls Beavers.

"We want the ball," Glenn said definitively.

Glenn was speaking to his captains who were heading out to the pre-game coin flip. But he was also talking in sweeping terms to a still-improving Wolverine team that had been blanked in the first half of 27-8 and 27-7 road losses to Minico and Buhl the past two weeks.

Wood River junior lineman Anthony Quarles, of all people, took Glenn's advice to heart right from the get-go.

Although Wood River lost the coin flip and kicked off to the Beavers to start Friday's non-conference game at Hailey's Homer Field, the Wolverine defense stepped up big time. Quarles intercepted a Beaver pass on the first play and waltzed into the end zone for a 6-0 lead with only 14 seconds elapsed on the game clock.

Defensive lineman Quarles was truly startled to find himself with the ball, but he remembered Glenn's words and hesitated only briefly before charging into the end zone. The play set the tone of the game.

Wood River didn't hesitate at all during its first half, scoring six touchdowns and 42 points in the 42-14 shellacking.

Senior fullback Tyler Jackson scored three TDs, and the Wolverine defense ended up turning four interceptions into touchdowns including a long 50-yard pass theft for six points by Jeff Conover with no time on the clock before halftime.

In all, Wood River out-rushed American Falls 158-10 in the first half led by consistent senior tailback Scott Bartlett (13 carries for 101 yards in the first half). Doing much of the blocking was the line of center Chris Chapman, guards Adrian Grimaldo and Corbin Miniard, tackles Casey Lane and Casey Bennett.

Getting his first varsity start after a promising relief pitching job at Buhl Sept. 16, sophomore quarterback Danny Kramer (9-for-15 for 129 yards) guided the Wood River offense and showed scrambling ability with four rushes for 27 yards. Jackson caught six passes for 72 yards out of the backfield.

Once again, Wood River played outstanding defense against the run led by linebackers Carl Browning (16 tackles) and Collin Hand (10).

The Beavers rushed 34 times for 100 yards, but much of it was hard-earned yardage. The Hailey defense stopped the Beaver ball carriers 18 times for gains of two yards or less, similar to what the Wolverine defense did in the loss at Buhl.

With the win Wood River (2-3, 0-1 league) snapped its three-game losing skid and American Falls fell to 1-4.

The outcome put the Wolverines on an upward slope heading into the 2005 Homecoming game Friday, Sept. 30 against defending Great Basin Conference West champion Burley (2-2, 0-0) in Hailey.

Opening kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday at Homer Field.

Burley lost at home 42-21 to highly-regarded Pocatello (5-0), then won 15-13 at Declo and beat Preston 26-14 at home before falling Friday at home to Blackfoot 24-15. The Bobcats won the league despite finishing 3-6, including a 16-0 home victory over Wood River that started their late-season surge.

In last year's 16-0 win, Burley collected six turnovers and out-rushed Wood River 245-126 including 130-4 in the first quarter. It was Burley's sixth straight win over Wood River by a lopsided 194-33 margin. The Bobcats lead the 12-game grid series 10-2, outscoring the Wolverines 320-79. Wood River last won 13-8 in Hailey in 1988.

Quick start against Beavers

After Quarles gave Wood River its early lead, the Wolverine offense picked and probed and went four-and-out on its first try. Next time, a couple of swing passes to Jackson out of the backfield opened up the middle, and Bartlett busted through a big hole for a 29-yard scoring dash.

The Beavers relied chiefly on short passes thrown by senior quarterback Robert Crompton (10-for-27 for 127 yards). Trailing 14-0, the visitors made some headway on a 12-play, five-minute drive—but tackles by Browning, Danny Ward, Quarles and Houston Shaw stopped the drive.

On Wood River's first play, Jackson took off around the right end, broke a tackle at the 40-yard-line and rambled 28 yards into Beaver territory. Bartlett got the call three straight times for 22 yards, then Jackson finished off the five-play, 66-yard TD drive with a 15-yard run.

The first of two Conover interceptions got Hailey the ball again. On third-and-four, Kramer fired a pass across the middle on a double slant. Intended for Ward, the pass was tipped in the air, up for grabs. Conover alertly turned the loose ball into a 38-yard pass completion.

Bartlett rambled for 18 more yards to the shadow of the goal line, and Jackson plunged home for a 27-0 Wolverine lead. Then, a Grayson Thompson interception and 32-yard return set up Wood River's fifth touchdown as the seconds ticked away in the second quarter.

On third down, Kramer hit Kenny Cardona for an 18-yard pass completion. Bartlett added 17 yards on a dazzling cross counter play, in which he faked right and carried the handoff back around the left end as his offensive line cracked down. On third down, Kramer felt a seam down the middle and scrambled for 12 yards to the one. Jackson made it 34-0.

With less than 10 seconds remaining, American Falls tried two passes, the first incomplete and the second thrown by Crompton into the hands of Conover. Conover stepped in front of the intended receiver, caught it and sprinted 50 yards for the sixth touchdown. Dima Springs kicked his sixth extra point, 42-0.

NOTES—One of the Beaver players, 5-9 junior Stratton Laggis, is the grandson of Stratton Laggis, a Ketchum attorney since 1968. Young Laggis returned an interception nearly 100 yards for an apparent TD late in the fourth quarter, but it was nullified by a penalty. Understandably his grandfather said afterward that he thought the officials were being a little too technical, judging by the lopsided score. Laggis also caught a 32-yard pass completion. He is the son of Beaver assistant football coach Paul Laggis, a 1980 Wood River High School graduate and former star football quarterback and basketball player for the Wolverines. Paul Laggis is a Power County prosecuting attorney.




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