Chiefs’ running attack stalls in loss to Libby
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LIBBY — The momentum that the Chiefs had been building for the last three weeks came to a screeching halt in Libby Friday as Ronan came up short against the Loggers, 38-0
Ronan came into the game riding a three-week winning streak and in search of a second straight win in conference play. It was not to be, though, as the Logger defense shut down the Chiefs’ running game unlike any team in the past few years.
“It was just a tough game for us. We didn’t play well at all,” Ronan head coach Jim Benn said. “They just completely took away our running game. That is something that I haven’t had happen to me since I have been here. They just, flat-out, out-physicalled us.”
The Chiefs came into the contest averaging nearly 212 rushing yards per contest but could do little against the Logger defense, finishing the game with just 39 yards on the ground.
“We thought we had a good plan going in but they figured out just how to hit us and we couldn’t recover,” Benn said. “We got in a hole, we just couldn’t dig our way out of it, and it just steamrolled from there.”
Libby’s offense had little trouble moving the ball on the ground, though, as the Loggers used their running attack to build a 32-0 halftime lead before finishing the game with 314 rushing yards.
“We knew they had been running the ball effectively this year, but they decided to run it against the weak side against us. That was something we hadn’t seen them do this year,” Benn said.
The Chiefs defense was stronger in the second half, holding the Loggers to just a single touchdown, but Ronan’s offense was never able to get going.
“I thought the kids responded fairly well after halftime. There was just nothing we could do to get back in the game though,” Benn said. “It seemed like we would finally get something going well, something positive would happen, and then some negative would take it all away.”
Lucas Black finished the game with 33 yards to lead the Chief running attack while Chris Clary was the only other Ronan player with positive rushing numbers at 14 yards. Robbie Gauthier finished with a loss yards while Dallas Jore lost 3.
The Chief passing attack had much more success on the evening as Gauthier finished 11-18 throwing the ball for 169 yards.
Cole McArthur led the Ronan receiving corps with 58 yards, Jore added 53, Black had 46 and Dalton Molzhon and Clary each added 6 yards.
With the loss, the Chiefs fall to 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.
The team will have another tough task ahead of them this week as the Chiefs host Polson for their annual rivalry game.
“We’re in a tough spot now. We pretty much have to win against Polson to have a shot at the playoffs,” Benn said. “You look for little things to get the kids fired up this week. This is Polson, though. If we can’t get fired up for this game we can’t get fired up for anything.”
Summary
Ronan 0, Libby 38
Ronan 0 0 0 0–0
Libby 14 18 6 0–38
L - Corey Chapman 29 run (Patrick Valentine kick)
L - Colby Rybar 12 run (Valentine kick)
L - Kody Berget 52 punt return (Valentine kick)
L - Justin Thrailkill 5 run (Kelly May run)
L - Chapman 53 run (kick failed)
