Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
ScrEagles drop first league game
Reardan sophomore Blake Wynecoop recovers a fumble against Northwest Christian Friday, Sept. 8. The Screaming Eagles fell to the Crusaders 34-13.
DEER PARK - The Reardan football team got off to a strong start, but soon learned why the Northwest Christian Crusaders are one of the Northeast 2B's best teams in the Screaming Eagles' first league game this season. NWC felled Reardan 34-13 Friday, Sept. 8.
The loss was Reardan's first this season after the Screaming Eagles topped Lake Roosevelt 14-12 in Week 1.
The Screaming Eagles got off to a strong start as NWC adjusted to a different quarterback. Usual starter Titus Spuler was out with injury, so senior Emmett McLaughlin, typically a wide receiver, took the snaps.
On the game's first drive, Reardan forced a McLaughlin fumble that was recovered by Blake Wynecoop. An early issue for the Screaming Eagles this season reared its head on the first offensive possession, however, as Evan Krupke's punt attempt was blocked to give NWC the ball on the Reardan 35.
But the Reardan defense hung tough, forcing a turnover on downs and getting the ball back. Then, quarterback Rysen Soliday found running back Aidan Chilson on a swing pass, and solid blocking by the Reardan wide receivers allowed Chilson to get past the secondary into the endzone untouched for a 72-yard score.
The momentum changed on NWC's next drive that went into the second quarter. Reardan forced the Crusaders into a tough 3rd-and-27 from the Reardan 39, but McLaughlin dropped a dime to Asher West in the endzone to tie the game.
"We were able to get into the endzone first with a swing pass to Aidan Chilson behind some great blocking from our wide receivers," Reardan head coach Matt Clouse said. "Then we went cold in the second quarter."
Following a questionable horse collar tackle penalty assessed to Jakari Singleton on NWC's next drive, the Crusaders took a 14-7 lead on a 3-yard plunge by Ryan Waters.
The blocked kicks got worse for Reardan from there, as another punt was blocked and recovered in the endzone by NWC's Sam Young. Suddenly, the Crusaders led 20-7.
The gap was further widened when McLaughlin hit Avi West on a 30-yard crossing route to give NWC a 27-7 lead into halftime.
"Their defensive front was quick and strong and we had trouble moving the ball against it," Clouse said. "With nothing going on offense and a couple of blocked punts we gave them points and a short field all quarter."
Reardan wasn't going to go into the cool night quietly, as Clouse elected to go extremely pass-heavy in the second half after NWC's front seven proved nearly immovable with a rushing attack.
Soliday capped an 81-yard drive achieved solely through the air with another 5-yard swing pass to Chilson, aided by a 38-yard catch-and-run toss to Singleton. The extra point was blocked, marking Reardan's third blocked kick allowed, and NWC led 27-13.
"We came out more determined in the second half and were able to put a scoring drive together utilizing the passing game," Clouse said.
Reardan managed to turn NWC over on downs but turned it back over on downs itself with 9:24 remaining. Wynecoop intercepted a 4th-down attempt by McLaughlin at the Reardan 18, but McLaughlin got the ball right back by picking off a Soliday heave at the NWC 44.
The Crusaders put the game away when McLaughlin tossed a 28-yard touchdown down the left sideline to Waters with 2:24 remaining.
Soliday and Chilson led the Reardan offensive attack, as the latter caught nine passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Soliday threw for 187 yards and two scores, completing 13 of his 30 passing attempts.
Rushing was a troubling affair for Reardan, which netted negative 37 yards as a team.
Waters carried the ball 18 times for 120 yards and a touchdown, while catching five passes for 77 yards and a score for NWC.
Reardan hits the road again this Friday night, heading to Chewelah for a 7 p.m. tilt with the Cougars Sept. 15.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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