Spartans fall to Kellogg 44-0 in opener
Running back Coby Rogers fights through the Newport defense during a game last year.
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
PRIEST RIVER — Despite 148 rushing yards from senior captain Coby Rogers, the Priest River football team was unable to put any points on the scoreboard during Friday's 44-0 season-opening loss to Kellogg.
"That is by far the best performance in a Spartan uniform in the last couple of years," head coach Jared Hughes wrote in an email.
The Spartans have a very young team and it showed Friday night. Hughes started five freshmen and only two seniors and six of his starters had never started a varsity game.
Given the amount of inexperience on the field, the Spartans had a lot of mental mistakes. Fortunately, Hughes believes a majority of those mistakes can be shored up in practice.
"Our kids played hard and with a ton of heart," he wrote. "Kellogg is a state playoff team from a year ago and returned a ton of talent and are well coached. A lot of their athletes are part of their great basketball program. It showed when it looked like they had a few 'fast breaks' on us."
Defensively, Priest River surrendered six touchdowns in the nonleague game. Kameron Salesky, Deegan Goins, Matyus McLain and Landon Reynolds each tallied a sack for the Spartans and Salesky led the team with eight total tackles.
Offensively, Priest River's two quarterbacks — Everett Hannah and Kai-Poi Wong-Yuen — combined to complete just one pass for four yards and they were sacked five times. As a team, the Spartans rushed for 160 total yards on 39 carries.
Hughes said he was pleased his team won the turnover battle, committed just four penalties and most importantly got to play.
"There are a lot of kids around the country that are not getting that chance due to COVID-19," he wrote. "We are blessed to live where we do and have the support of the community to allow us the opportunity to play."
Hughes said the team will focus on pass and run blocking, timing on routes, tackling, containing the quarterback and pass coverage during practice this week in preparation for Friday's game against Bonners Ferry.
"We have a great group of coaches and a talented group of young athletes," he wrote. "They all work hard and are fun to be around. We will get better because our kids are talented, coachable and hard workers."
The Spartans (0-1) host Bonners Ferry at 7 p.m. Friday. The Badgers were also held scoreless in their season opener against Lincoln County, falling 14-0.
Kellogg 6 18 7 13 — 44
Priest River 0 0 0 0 — 0