Outlaws crush Creswell in Homecoming game

The Outlaws football team bounced back well from their loss last week at Cottage Grove in their Homecoming game against Creswell, notching a commanding 48-6 win on Friday, October 11.

Sisters jumped right out and scored on the first possession of the contest. Kayl Mock had a 30-plus-yard run midway through the drive and Kolbi Cotner scored on a seven-yard carry for the touchdown. Reid Woodson hit the point-after-touchdown (PAT) and the Outlaws took a 7-0 lead.

Creswell had a bad snap on the first play of their drive, and fumbled the ball. Ethan Eby was there to recover for the Outlaws. Sisters took over and a Hunter Bronson 26-yard pass to Hudson Beckwith gave the Outlaws a quick touchdown (TD), and after a successful Woodson PAT, a 14-0 advantage.

Creswell was forced to punt and the Outlaws once again took control with 2:35 left in the first quarter. Mock had a 30-yard carry and the drive was capped by a 16-yard pass to Landen Scott. The PAT failed but at the close of the period the Outlaws were on top 20-0.

The Bulldogs had possession at the start of the second quarter, but once again the Outlaws forced a punt. Eby started the drive when he bulldozed up the middle for the first down. Cotner grabbed a nice pass to bring the Outlaws to the three-yard line, and Eby pushed in for the touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Outlaws extended their lead to 26-0.

The Outlaws' defense was stellar; they forced the Bulldogs to punt, and Sisters took over on Creswell's 34- yard line. Mock had a 44-yard carry for the TD and Cotner ran it in for the two-point conversion to put the Outlaws on top 34-0. That score held as teams entered the half.

Creswell was unable to get anything going in the first half as the Sisters' defense pressured their offense into mistakes. The Outlaws' defense held the Bulldogs to just 45 yards of offense in the first half.

At the start of the third, Creswell got down to the Outlaws' 40-yard line, and then Dawson Roberson snagged the ball for an interception and Sisters regained possession. Eby scored on a 47-yard TD run that set the running clock into motion for the remainder of the contest. Woodson's kick was good and Sisters took a commanding 41-0 lead. The Outlaws got lots of younger promising players into the game from that point on.

Creswell managed to score on an eight-yard TD run with approximately nine minutes left on the clock, but their PAT failed.

Joe Souza made an outstanding kickoff return that went all the way down to the four-yard line, setting the Outlaws up for their final touchdown of the night. Souza scored the TD on a one-yard run, Woodson hit the PAT, and the Outlaws 48-6 lead held until the final buzzer.

Sisters finished the night with 256 yards rushing, 122 yards passing, for a total of 378 yards of total offense, and had zero turnovers in the contest. On the flipside, Creswell tallied 116 yards rushing, 53 yards passing, for 169 yards total offense. They also had three turnovers, one fumble, and two interceptions.

Photo by Charlie Kanzig

Spencer Tisdel and Ella Eby were the king and queen of the 32nd Sisters Outlaws Homecoming Celebration.

Quarterback Bronson went six-for-seven for 122 yards and two TDs.

The Outlaws were dominant on their ground attack. Mock had six carries for 119 yards and a TD, Eby six carries for 71 yards and two Tds, and Cotner seven carries for 24 yards and a TD. Beckwith had four carries for 32 yards and Souza four for 26 yards.

"The Outlaws did a great job spreading the ball around on offense, as seven different players carried the ball, including recently returned Kayden Morris with a tough 12-yard run in the second half," said Coach Gary Thorson. "All six of Bronson's pass completions were to six different Outlaws."

Trent Gordon handled the kickoff duties well for the Outlaws, and Woodson was near perfect on his PATs. 

Thorson told The Nugget that the offensive line did a much better job in pass protection.

"The offensive line gave Bronson plenty of time to throw and he had a great night at quarterback," said Thorson. "Jackson Spor made his first start of the season at left tackle and did a great job, and the other offensive line starters (Garcia, Miller, Allen, and Davison-Golien) played well against a Creswell defensive line that had a huge size advantage.

"It was also nice to see both of our tight ends (Gardner and Woodson) snag a pass as they have been blocking well all season for us," added Thorson. "We had some favorable matchups in the secondary and we are definitely at our best when we can both run and throw efficiently. All of our backs continue to run and block well for each other and that continues to be a strength for us. Mock had his fourth 100-plus-yard rushing game in a row and Eby ran well for us in his normal bruising fashion."

Sean-Andrew Moffett led the squad with nine tackles, and Gardner added six. Both Roberson and Tabor Garcia had interceptions and Eby had a fumble recovery.

Thorson told The Nugget that Moffett had a great game in his linebacker position: "Moffett plays with a great motor and while he gives up some size he more than makes up for it with his heart and determination.

"It was a great defensive effort overall and one of our better performances on that side of the ball," said Thorson. "While it did not hold up due to the penalty, Dawson's 99-yard kickoff return for a score was one of the most exciting plays we have had since I've been here. He is an explosive player every time he gets his hands on the ball.

"It was great to get a win on homecoming night and play as well as we did," Thorson said. "We got almost everyone in the game and it was a fun night for the program. We are headed down the home stretch now with just three league games left, but need to continue to keep our focus and get better. Even after a big win like this you always find things to work on and this game was no exception. There is still a whole bunch of work to be done and we will start that again on Monday."