Coyotes Fall to Crawford 46-12

Potter-Dix's Coyote Football team hosted the Crawford Rams in Potter for the Coyote's home opener on Friday, and lost by a final score of 46-to-12. The Coyotes fall to 1-and-1 on the season, and will try to get back on the winning track as they travel to face the Sioux County Warriors on Friday.

Potter-Dix started the game on offense, and gave the Rams a dose of junior running back Donnie Moench. Moench was unable to break any big runs, and the Coyotes turned over the ball on downs to end their first possession. Crawford took over, and then proceeded to also go four and out on their first drive. Both teams were hampered by multiple penalties that stalled their initial drives. On their second drive, the Coyotes used senior running back Terrel Gray to try to break through the Ram's defense, but that drive also resulted in a four and out.

The Rams offense started with a pass play, but Gray was able to break through and sack the quarterback and force a fumble, which was picked up by Potter-Dix sophomore Anthony Tovar who ran it down to the Ram's 10 yard line. Two plays later, Gray burst through the end zone for the touchdown, and after a missed point after attempt, the Coyotes were up 6-to-0 on the Rams.

After the Rams ran the kickoff back to their own 32 yard line, Crawford senior quarterback Will Ackerman had a pass tipped, and Potter-Dix sophomore Jared Anton intercepted the pass and ran it back down to the Ram's 3 yard line. After three failed attempts to break into the end zone by Gray, the Coyote's tried a sweep with Anton, but the Ram's strung out the play and tackled Anton at the one yard line and induced a fumble. After their goal line stand, the Rams started on their own one yard line, and Ackerman started to take over the game. After Ackerman ran for a first down to get the Rams out of the shadow of their own end zone, Crawford senior Dennis Vogl broke a big run down to the Coyote's 25 yard line. A few plays later, Ackerman connected on a pass for a touchdown, and after a missed point after attempt, the game was knotted 6-to-6.

The Rams executed on onside kick, and were able to recover the ball on the Coyote's 35 yard line. After a first down pass was dropped in the end zone, Ackerman used his legs on second down and ran for 45 yards and a touchdown, and after a succesful point after attempt, the Rams led the Coyotes 13-to-6. The Coyotes started their drive on the 36, and on first down Potter-Dix freshman quarterback Luke Kasten was able to recover a bad snap, roll out to the right sideline and fire a long pass to Anton who was then tackeled at the 9 yard line. After another bad snap, Kasten was again able to roll out and find Anton in the corner of the endzone, and after a blocked point after attempt the Coyotes had pulled within one, 13-to-12.

Ackerman used his arm and his legs to quickly move the offense down the field, and scored on a 6 yard touchdown pass to Vogl to extend the lead to 19-to-12. Potter went back on offense with three minutes left in the half, but Kasten had a long pass dropped by Anton and faced pressure by the Rams, and eventually turned the ball over on downs on a 4th and 13 incompletion. The Coyotes went into the half trailing by 6, but knew they had to contain Ackerman to stay in the game.

The Rams received the ball to start the second half, and Ackerman went to work by juking Potter-Dix senior Rylan McConnell in the backfield then breaking out a long run for a touchdown. The touchdown was nullified by an illegal block in the back, the second touchdown nullified by a penalty by the Rams, but it was just a temporary repreive for the Coyotes. The Rams continued to drive and Ackerman found senior Rope Anders for a four yard touchdown connection. After Potter-Dix's Anthony Tovar blocked the point after attempt, the Rams led 25-to-12. On the next drive, the Coyotes started on their own 15 yard line and were able to move the ball through the air and on the ground, but were stopped from scoring when Kasten threw an interception in the end zone.

The Rams started at their own 15 yard line, but were able to quickly move down the field on Ackerman's passes and runs, along with Vogl breaking out for big gains. Ackerman ran for four yards up the middle to score again, and now the Rams were ahead 32-to-12, and the game was effectively over. The Rams were able to put up 14 more points while shutting out the Coyotes in the second half for a final score of 46-to-12. Ackerman's speed and athletiscm were too much for the Coyotes as he ended his day with 192 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, and 10 completions for 122 yards in the air.

Potter-Dix freshman quarterback Luke Kasten was 5-for-14 for 90 yards and a touchdown, while sophomore Jarod Anton led the defense with 11 total tackles and two interceptions. Anton also caught three passes including a touchdown in the loss.

Potter-Dix head coach Dale Freirichs said after the game, "We put ourselves in a tough position by not capitalizing on our redzone opportunities, especially when we could've went up by two scores in the first half. We also gave them too many extra possessions from turnovers and onside kicks. We'll learn from this and be better this week against Sioux County."