Braves prey upon Bellevue Christian for third straight win

Beating Bellevue Christian was pretty impressive, despite the lack of style points for a La Conner High team that fashioned a 22-7 non-league grid decision Friday to remain unbeaten in three starts.

For the workmanlike Braves, the game was literally a grind.

La Conner ground out nearly 300 yards rushing while moving the sticks and controlling the clock against their larger enrollment foes.

Cameron Hansen paced the victors, carrying eight times for 148 yards and two touchdowns, including a 92-yard scoring dash in the first quarter.

Hansen also picked off a pass, but suffered an apparent quad injury on the return. He was to be evaluated Monday as to the extent of the injury and a possible timeline for his return.

The sooner, obviously, the better.

“He’s a threat every time he touches the ball,” La Conner High head coach Johnny Lee said of Hansen afterward. “I really like the way he plays.”

Lee also liked how his offensive line played against Bellevue Christian.

“Up front,” he said, “Hunter Kroon, Jack Dixon, and Michael Page executed our scheme very well. All three of them competed really well.”

Lee said his club opted for the run game after struggling with timing on pass routes and screens earlier in the week.

“We ended up relying pretty heavily on the run,” he said. “Our offensive line did a good job creating movement.”

It showed on the field, and in the final stats.

As a team, La Conner 44 times for 298 yards.

Budda Luna netted 40 yards on just six attempts, and was particularly effective after Hansen went out.

“Budda definitely added a spark to the running game,” said Lee.

In addition to his long run, Hansen also tacked on a 12-yard TD jaunt in the third period before being sidelined.

With the Viking defense softened up by La Conner’s ground attack, Braves quarterback Trey Johnson added an insurance score with a 35-yard strike to Harrison Orkney prior to the final stanza.

Bellevue Christian averted a shutout with a lone touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“Overall,” Lee said, “I thought it was good to win ugly. We’ve proven that we can win in some very different ways, even though the season is just underway.”

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. And those who prefer a hard-nosed, defensive matchup liked what they saw Friday night.

Count Lee among them.

“Our defense,” he stressed, “played great, and we’re going to rely on that unit for most of the season. We managed to stop Bellevue Christian’s run game and forced them to be pretty one-dimensional.”

Lee praised Luna for his work in the defensive secondary and Matt Finley for yeoman work in the trenches.

“Budda was very active as a solo tackler,” Lee said, “and he ran the alleys the way we like. And Matt did an effective job on the defensive line and played disciplined football.”

La Conner puts its three-game winning streak on the line this weekend at Friday Harbor.

The Braves sail Friday to San Juan Island for a key 6:30 p.m. NW2B clash.

“We expect to face a tough Friday Harbor squad out on the island,” Lee said. “But I like our chances. This is a very fun group of guys to work with, and we continue to learn more about each other as the weeks roll on.”