Troy hammers Clark Fork, 44-0

TROY — At times, the Clark Fork football looked pretty good against Troy.

Unfortunately, it wasn't often enough as the Wampus Cats lost to the Trojans 44-0 in non-league action with the game ending in the fourth quarter.

"It was a matter of us not executing," said Clark Fork coach Brian Arthun. "We made too many mistakes. We turned the ball over and we weren't doing our job."

Failure to execute plays and lack of consistency hurt the Wampus Cats, already suffering from low numbers and a lack of depth, Arthun said. With school starting next week, the team only had 15 players on board for its first game.

While at times Clark Fork looked good, Arthun said the team's inconsistency caused too many problems that couldn't be overcome.

As a result, the Wampus Cats were behind 36-0 at halftime and the game was called during the fourth quarter.

Arthun said Troy wore down the Wampus Cats and, with one game already under their belt, the bigger school was able to dominate on the field.

"They're probably the toughest team we'll play this year," he added. "Hopefully, we learned some lessons."

Arthun said the team head back to the practice field and work on consistent play offensively and focus on the fundamentals, including tackling.

While the outcome was disappointing, Arthun said there were a number of bright spots as quarterback Brian Young was able to throw and move the ball for Clark Fork, with nine receptions for 130 yards.

Kyle Ruen and Evan Martin also did a good job of getting open and catching for the Wampus Cats. Ruen had four receptions for 59 yards and Martin had five receptions for 41 yards.

The Wampus Cats will host Cusick, Wash., at 7 p.m. Friday.