Bulldog offense detonates for big win over WC

Tucker Gleason of Colfax stretches for a tip Friday in the Colfax game against the Wildcats. Riley Wuestney puts on the pressure at right.

Ben Ahmann starts up field on a long punt return against the Wildcats. Gabe Ahmann is at left, and Augie Allenbach is at right.

Colfax football offense, which scored a total of nine points over the first two league rounds, detonated Friday on the home field for 47 points in the first half against the guests from Wilbur/Creston. The Bulldogs scored 34 of those points in the second quarter.

“We knew it was there,” Coach Mike Morgan commented after noting Colfax had only scored seven points on offense over the first eight quarters of the season.

After the big first half, Morgan called out the reserves, most of them who were sidelined at the start of last week when Colfax had to call off a jayvee game to squeeze in a delayed varsity round against Asotin.

Wilbur/Creston bounced back for two unanswered TDs in the second half. Colfax won at 47-18.

The big win leaves Colfax at 2-1 on the season with the next league round Friday at Ritzville against the Broncos.

Coach Mike Morgan noted it was nice to see Colfax roll up the points in the first half, but he was surprised to see the tally go as high as it did and as quickly as it did.

Colfax posted the win on a league night when Liberty rattled the pre-season predictions with a 21-14 win over the Asotin Panthers. One of the three-way tie finishers for the top of the league last year, Liberty advanced to 3-0 at the top of the league race.

Northwest Christian is also rolling at 3-0.

Colfax this week will go up against Bronco team which sustained a 18-24 overtime loss to Northwest Christian.

Other scores in the league were Reardan 21-Davenport 7 and Springdale 14-Kettle Falls 0.

Colfax Friday did all of its scoring on the ground. The Bulldogs rolled up 268 yards rushing with zero in the pass department on six attempts.

Wilbur/Creston, which made up ground in the second half, actually out-gained Colfax with 275 yards, including 104 passing.

Colfax scored its first three TDs on ground campaigns with Christopher Jones scoring. The Bulldogs scored twice in the first quarter, but the Wildcats came back with a slashing passing attack which seemed to signal a close ball game.

Wildcat QB Blaine Bandy hit Garrett Bodeau with an over-the-shoulder shot at about the 20 yard line, and they linked up again for a 20-yarder for the score with 1:50 left in the quarter.

That took it into the second quarter where the Bulldogs unloaded for 34 more points.

Jones booked his third TD on a 12-yard run; Ben Ahmann scored in a plunger at 5:01, and Matthew Neu, who topped the per-run yard average for the Bulldogs, scored with a 57-yard scamper.

The Wildcats gambled on a fourth-down on their next possession and failed to bag a first down. Colfax took the ball on the 14, and QB Brett Kincaid kept the ball for two plays and scored.

That put the tally at 41-6, but Colfax rattled their new scoreboard again in the final seconds when Ben Ahmann intercepted a Wildcat pass and went all the way, 80-plus yards, for the 47-6 tally just before the half.

Coach Morgan said the game tape shows Bulldog blocks opening the gates downfield for the return with lineman Augie Allenbach somehow in front when Ahmann took it into the end zone.

Wilbur/Creston speedster Ethen Tesch broke loose for a 51-yard score midway through the third quarter, and Carter Locke topped that with an 82 yard escape with 7:24 left in the ball game.

Morgan expects a tough game Friday when the Bulldogs collide with the Broncos at Ritzville. The lone win so far for LRSW came in a close battle with the Wildcats team Colfax just defeated.

Bryce Kelly leads the Broncos in the QB slot, and Mason Brausen is the top running back for Coach Greg Whitmore’s Bronco team.

Colfax stats: 268 yards, 34-268 rushing 0-6 passing; penalties 9-15, first downs 16, time of possession 25:21. Rushing: Neu 6-93, Jones 8-62, Ben Ahmann 8-53, Kincaid 4-26, Gavin Hammer 3-20, Hunter Claassen 3-8, Dane Hall 1-5, Anthony Becker 1-1. Passing: Ahmann 0-1, Kincaid 0-4, Claassen 0-1. Solo tackles: Hall 6, Nick Klaveano 4, B. Ahmann 3, Beckcer, Jones and Neu, each 2.

Wilbur/Creston stats: 275 yards, 104 passing, 171 rushing: penalties 4-45, fumble 1, 1 lost; interceptions 1, first downs 12, time of possession 22:39. Rushing: Loche 4-96, Tesch 5-47, Aaron McDowell 7-27, Jake Mattox 2-4, Bodeau 1 minus 3. Passing-Bandy 10-18 for 104 yards.