Bulldogs aim NE wrap for playoff launch mode

Colfax cheer section added a spooky touch Friday night at Schmuck Park with pumpkins spelling out the mascot title. Colfax cheerleaders carved the pumpkins the night before at the home of advisor Rhonda Pittman.

Colfax sophomore Alvin Li breaks between Nighthawk defenders Riley Schell and Cory Schulz in the Friday night game at Schmuck Park. Li totaled 154 yards and scored two TDs.

Lind/Ritzville’s Broncos will arrive in Colfax Friday night, and the Bulldogs plan a full-bore greeting to wrap up a sweep of the NE league. A win over the Broncos would also clear off part of the unknowns leading into the playoff season.

Colfax faces the league capper after two non-league wins on the home turf. They blanked Tekoa/ Oakesdale/Rosalia 30-0 last Friday after escaping a charge by the North Central Jayvees the previous week.

Coach Mike Morgan credits both the ‘hawks and NC with bringing games that helped keep Colfax in tune for Lind/Ritziville in the final league round this week.

The Broncos arrive after taking out Liberty 30-12 last week on their home turf. Lind/Ritzville has a 3-1 record in the NE and could throw the league into a three-way tie if they could stop the Colfax win streak.

“They’re feisty,” Morgan said, adding he expects the Broncos to go all-out against Colfax.

Reardan, a 46-13 winner over Davenport last week, is now the number-two contender in the league because they have a win over the Broncos. They would get a number-two guarantee if Colfax deals a second league loss to Lind/Ritzville Friday.

First round of the playoff picture right now is unsettled for the SE league, with Asotin, Waitburg/ Prescott and DeSales apparently headed for some type of three-way playoff, now set for Monday. That means the NE won’t know its post-season foes until the tangle is resolved in the middle of next week.

A win Friday by Colfax would put them against the number-two team out of the SE Nov. 14.

Morgan notes the Broncos this year have marked success despite losing 16 players to graduation last year. Quarterback Jake Eichner has been the key to L/R’S success.

“We just have to stop him. He likes to run just about as much as he likes to pass,” Morgan noted. Eichner last week passed for two of the LR scores and ran for two more in the win over Liberty.

Colfax last Friday rolled up 369 yards against TOR in a rare matchup with a neighboring SE team. Morgan noted the game was a lot closer than the offensive odometer indicates and five Nighthawk turnovers accounted for a lot of the difference.

He rated TOR’s 3-5 defense as the toughest the Bulldogs have seen all year in their 8-0 run.

The `hawks advanced into the Colfax red zone four times during the game, but they couldn’t pick up a score.

Colfax drove the length of the field on their first possession and scored on a five-yard run by Alvin Li. They came back and scored 18 beans in the second quarter with Damon Buck blocking a punt to top another strong night of special teams play. Stetson Steiger collected the score. Last score of the half came on a 29-yard ramble by Kellen Morgan after he picked up a TOR fumble, and the last score came on a 55-yard run by Li.

A sophomore, Li finished with 154 yards on 16 carries. He earned the start this week with two other Colfax backs again out of the lineup.

Tyler McNannany, who sustained a pulled groin muscle in a practice mishap, was again out last week. Morgan noted they are making sure McNannany, who has also keyed the Colfax offense with this kicking, fully recovers.

“We know we’re going to need him in the coming weeks,” Morgan commented.

Also sidelined was JJ Robinson who sustained a concussion early last week in the NC game.