Spartans nearly defeat Orofino on homecoming

PRIEST RIVER — A missed extra point in the fourth quarter cost Priest River football in a 7-6 loss to Orofino last Friday.

The Spartans (0-5) did everything they could to scratch out a win on homecoming, holding Orofino to 103 total yards of offense in the game and a single touchdown in the fourth quarter.

But after senior quarterback Caden Brennan found sophomore wide receiver Robert Johnson for a 20-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to respond to the Maniacs, Priest River couldn’t convert the extra point that would’ve tied the game.

“We made huge strides from the Grangeville game,” Priest River head coach Jared Hughes said in an email. “189 yards of offense when only negative three versus Grangeville ... We shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers in our first two promising drives.”

Brennan finished with 112 passing and 29 rushing yards and senior running back Teagun Holycross and junior running back Coby Rogers combined for 49 rushing yards on 16 carries.

This was the Spartans last game before league play and Hughes said his team should be looking forward to it.

“Now the real season starts,” Hughes said in an email. “We have three league games left and all [Intermountain League] teams are 0-0 in league. With our close loss to Orofino and having seen that Kellogg lost to Grangeville this last Friday, our kids should be chomping at the bit to start league at Kellogg Thursday. As long as the kids show up for practice and the game, we should give ourselves a chance.”

Priest River plays Kellogg 7 p.m. Thursday.

Orofino 0 0 0 7 — 7

Priest River 0 0 0 6 — 6

Fourth quarter

ORO — #7 3 yard run

PR — Caden Brennan 20 yard pass to Robert Johnson (extra point no good)

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Priest River

PASSING — Caden Brennan, 9-18-1-122

RUSHING — Coby Rogers, 11-29. Caden Brennan, 14-29. Teagun Holycross, 5-20. Kameron Salesky, 1(-1).

RECEIVING — Coby Rogers, 4-61. Robert Johnson, 1-20-1. Teagun Holycross, 2-17. Levi Bowen, 1-8. Kameron Salesky, 1-6.