Reardan clobbers Brewster in opener

REARDAN – Some losses are harder to take than others. Last season, Brewster ended the Screaming Eagles football season with a 14-13 win in the state playoffs. The two teams met again Friday, Sept. 6 to open the 2024 season. The fired-up Screaming Eagles squad overpowered the visiting Bears, winning the game 39-14.

Reardan showed its offensive prowess on its first play from scrimmage when junior running back Blake Wynecoop took a pitch from senior quarterback Rysen Soliday and scampered 49 yards down the right sideline for the game's first touchdown. Senior Shane Book's extra point kick was successful, giving Reardan a 7-0 lead.

The Bear's next possession ended abruptly when Soliday intercepted a pass thrown by Bears' quarterback Samuel Arevalo.

In the second quarter, Reardan head coach Matt Clouse's decision to go with the deep ball proved successful when Soliday hit Book in stride for a 35 yard touchdown to give the Screaming Eagles a 13-0 lead with 4:31 remaining in the first half.

In the waning minutes of the half, Brewster drove to Reardan's 13 yard line. Henry Miller made the catch-of-the-game with a spectacular one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone to put the Bears on the scoreboard.

Not to be outdone, the Screaming Eagles marched down the field and with :12 left on the clock, Soliday bowled into the end zone on a quarterback keeper to extend Reardan's lead to 19-7 at the half.

Senior Evan Krupke kept the offense rolling in the third quarter with a 35 yard touchdown run that put Reardan up 25-7. Senior Zander Thornton ran the ball in for the two-point conversion to give Reardan a 27-7 lead.

Minutes later, Brewster's Arevalo threw a swing pass to his running back. The live backwards pass fell to the ground and scooped up by Soliday, who raced 15 yards into the end zone for another touchdown. With 7:15 left in the third quarter, Reardan led 33-7.

Two minutes later Fabia Nava ran 53 yards for the Bears' biggest play of the game. His touchdown made the score 33-14.

Senior Zander Thornton scored the last points of the game with a one-yard run at the end of the third quarter. The final score was 39-14.

"The game felt really good for week one," Soliday said. "We had a bit of a bone to pick with them, for sure after last year. Our line boys did an excellent job blocking. We were consistent and played with a lot of energy."

Book agreed that his team's energy was the difference maker. "We also put in a new play that we didn't use last year when they beat us," he said. "As soon as we marched that one up the field we could tell it was game over."