Spartans lose quarterback in 55-0 defeat to Tigers
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY) Senior defensive lineman Bradley O’Brien tackles a Newport player during a home game Sept. 12.
SPIRIT LAKE — All season things haven’t been going the Spartans way. And that themed continued Friday night when senior starting quarterback Caden Brennan broke his arm near the end of the first quarter in the league game against Timberlake.
This and a lack of experience and players led to Priest River football falling 55-0 to the Tigers.
This is the fourth time the Spartans have been shut out this season.
With Brennan out of the game, junior quarterback Rees O’Brien came in and did his best to try to fill the void left by Brennan’s absence.
“Rees stepped up and did a good job, but our offense had to become more vanilla than normal,” Priest River head coach Jared Hughes wrote in an email.
The Spartans fell behind early as the Tigers took a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Timberlake only ran six plays on offense in the first quarter and was able to score three touchdowns.
It didn’t get any better from there as Timberlake scored another 21 points in the second quarter to grab a 42-0 advantage at halftime.
Priest River held the Tigers to 13 points in the second half, but were unable to get anything going on offense as they finished with 63 total yards.
Senior running back Teagun Holycross was able to rush for 52 yards on seven carries and senior defensive lineman Bradley O’Brien led the defense with seven tackles and two forced fumbles. Sophomore defensive back Levi Bowen also added five tackles.
The Spartans (0-7, 0-2 IML) had a handful of missed assignments on both sides of the ball and negative plays and untimely penalties helped derail several promising drives on offense, Hughes wrote in an email.
Timberlake (7-0, 2-0 IML) fumbled the ball five times in the game, but the Spartans defense was unable to recover any of them.
Priest River returns home for its final game of the season 7 p.m. Friday against Bonners Ferry. The Spartans will be looking to avoid a winless season.
Priest River 0 0 0 0 — 0
Timberlake 21 21 6 7 — 55
First quarter
TL — #45 48 yard run (kick good)
TL — Louis Powell 67 yard run (kick good)
TL — Joey Follini 51 yard touchdown pass to Jack Mcdonald (kick good)
Second quarter
TL — #45 10 yard run (kick good)
TL — Joey Follini 15 yard touchdown pass to Josh Yanez (kick good)
TL — Joey Follini 5 yard touchdown pass to Gage Benefield (kick good)
Third quarter
TL — Louis Powell 40 yard run (kick no good)
Fourth quarter
TL — James Billingsley 1 yard run (kick good)
Individual stats
Priest River
PASSING — Caden Brennan, 0-2-0. Rees O’Brien, 0-5-0.
RUSHING — Teagun Holycross, 7-52, Coby Rogers, 14-11. Kameron Salesky, 2-2. Rees O’Brien, 3-(-2).