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900 W. Main St.,
PO Box 690 Grangeville, ID 83530
Phone: 208.983.1200 |
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| Prairie football wins opener over Genesee |
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 | | Free Press/Matt Crownover | | Pirates’ running back Devin Schmidt gets the best of a Genesee defender during the first quarter of Prairie’s 46-20 win. |
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COTTONWOOD -- The Prairie Pirates lost a vast majority of their team to graduation last year, so they're not supposed to dominate anymore, right?
Wrong.
The Pirates of Cottonwood rode the back of senior Devin Schmidt to a 46-20 season-opening win over visiting Genesee on Friday, Sept. 3.
It was a good early-season test for the Pirates, seeing as how coach Travis Mader picked Genesee to be one of the top five teams in the White Pine League this year.
Schmidt was simply unstoppable for the entire game.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior scored on a 32-yard run on Prairie's first possession. Just two minutes into the game and the Pirates led 6-0.
Schmidt ended up with 251 yards on 26 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Quarterback Beau Schlader converted all six of his pass attempts for 181 yards and one touchdown.
Justin Schmidt had five catches for 154 yards and a score.
"I was just proud of the kids' effort. I didn't know what to expect," Mader said. "They gave us everything we wanted."
Seven of eight players on both sides of the ball graduated last year, leaving the Pirates with an inexperienced team.
Prairie had won 23 straight games before falling to Oakley in the state title game last year.
Prairie's deceptive running game worked so well in the second quarter that it tricked just about everybody, including the referees.
Schlader took an option fake more than 50 yards untouched for a touchdown, but the play was called back because of an inadvertent whistle by the official.
The referees thought the play was dead after the running back was tackled. But he didn't have the ball.
"We work a lot on that play," Mader said.
Mader said he was happy with the way the team played both offensively and defensively.
"Overall I was pleased with the way the kids played on both sides of the ball," he said. "I was impressed with the offensive and defensive lines."
For the Pirates to get back to the state championship for the third straight year, they should plan on playing this way every week.
Next up is a game at Deary on Friday.
"Offensively we're not going to change," Mader said. "We're going to go with our power run and then use our play-action to beat you."
Prairie 46, Genesee 20
Genesee 0 6 14 0 - 20
Prairie 12 14 6 14 - 46
Scoring
Prairie: Devin Schmidt 32 run (run failed)
Prairie: D. Schmidt 33 run (pass failed)
Prairie: Justin Schmidt 36 pass from Beau Schlader (pass failed)
Genesee: Berry 16 pass from Druffel (pass failed)
Prairie: D. Schmidt 34 run (pass failed)
Genesee: Tyler Stout 90 kickoff return (Druffel run)
Prairie: D. Schmidt 26 run (J. Schmidt pass from Schlader)
Prairie: Brock Heath 7 run (run failed)
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