Weiser holds Fruitland scoreless in 35-0 rout

By: 
Steve Lyon

Weiser shut out a once-powerful Fruitland Grizzlies football team on Friday night at Roy Dickerson Memorial Field by the score of 35-0.
 The Grizzlies came into Friday’s game with a 1-4 record and desperate for an upset win, but the Wolverines had other plans. The Weiser defense didn’t allow the Grizzlies into the endzone once, while the offense scored touchdowns in every quarter.
 In symbolic way, it was a changing of the guard on the gridiron in the Snake River Valley Conference as Fruitland falls to 1-5 and the Wolverines remain unbeaten at 6-0.
 The win for Weiser sets up the marquee game of the season on Friday, Oct. 25, when the Wolverines travel to Homedale to meet the Trojans for the No. 1 spot in the SRV Conference.  
 Against Fruitland, Weiser once again went with the running game early. The Wolverines collected 228 yards on the ground out of 283 yards of total offense in Friday’s game.  Four of Weiser five touchdowns were rushing touchdowns.
 Fruitland fumbled on its first possession of the game and Weiser’s Tyler Pope made the recovery. Weiser couldn’t capitalize and ended up punting, but it was indicative that the night was not going to go Fruitland’s way.
 Weiser’s best drive of the game came late in the first quarter. A nice pass from quarterback Brett Spencer to Caleb Harris picked up a big chunk of yardage and the Wolverines were on the move. The drive was capped by a short 2-yard run into the endzone by Spencer for Weiser’s first score.
 With 1:08 left in the second quarter, Weiser’s Braden Edwards recovered the ball when a  Fruitland player fumbled the ball on a punt return. Weiser took over with great field position. Seconds later, Spencer found Harris late in the second quarter for a 25-yard touchdown pass play. Weiser held a 14-0 lead at halftime.
 With 5:31 left in the third period, Spencer once again opted to keep the ball and ran it 13 yards for a Weiser touchdown. At the end of the third quarter, Weiser was out in front of Fruitland 21-0.
 Fruitland quarterback Joe Henggler couldn’t get the passing game going. He went 4-for-9 on pass attempts for 40 yards and threw two interceptions. The Grizzlies fumbled the ball twice to go with Henggler’s two picks.
 Weiser had good field position early in the fourth quarter and were poised to score again. On another quarterback keeper, Spencer ran the ball in for a touchdown with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
 Weiser iced the game with touchdown No. 5, which came with 7:07 left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Power fullback Layten Tolman punched the ball in from three yards out to make the score 35-0.
 Spencer led the Wolverines in rushing with 90 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns. Tolman carried the ball seven times for 35 yards and Jack Burke had six touches for 43 yards. Seth Harris picked up 27 yards on two carries.
 Caleb Harris caught two passes for 47 yards to lead receivers. Tim Reed and Tolman each caught one pass for five yards and three yards, respectively.
 On defense, Kooper von Brethorst picked off one of Henggler’s passes and ran it back 43 yards. Sy York got the other Fruitland pick.
 Weiser coach Tom Harrison put in some JV players to give them some time on the field once the game was well in hand.
 The Wolverines travel to Payette to take on the Pirates on Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
 

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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