La Conner grid team enjoys impressive home debut

Its offense sputtered at times, but the La Conner High football team’s defense never rested on Friday.

The result was an impressive 56-14 NW2B verdict over Friday Harbor in the Braves’ home opener.

“We got a nice win in our first game back at home, and I thought our defense was the difference,” La Conner head coach Johnny Lee, whose club improved to 4-0, said afterward. “They played stout against the run, kept Friday Harbor’s passing game in front of us, and capitalized on opportunities.”

Two of those opportunities resulted directly in La Conner touchdowns.

Budda Luna intercepted a Wolverine pass and returned it 73 yards for La Conner’s first score of the game.

Brady Nelson returned a Friday Harbor fumble 51 yards for a TD midway through the second period, by which time La Conner had built a comfortable 28-0 lead.

“It helped,” said Lee, “that we were able to turn them over four different times. Our defensive line set the tone, specifically the play of A.J. Johnson and Hunter Kroon.”

The offense, despite an atypical slow start, did its part as well.

The Braves churned out nearly 200 yards on the ground, while signal caller James Hulbert threw for 107 yards and hooked up with Harrison Orkney and Max Miller on long scoring tosses.

“We were able to score in a lot of different ways,” noted Lee, “and were able to get a lot of guys involved.”

Seth Schuh carried eight times for 87 yards, the bulk of those coming on a 54-yard touchdown dash late in the second quarter.

He tacked on a 17-yard scoring burst in the third quarter.

The versatile Luna, meanwhile, netted 67 yards on just two attempts — the key carry being a 62-yard breakaway that put La Conner ahead 20-0 in the second frame.

Kolbe Rasler capped the Braves onslaught with a 42-yard TD scamper in the final stanza.

“We struggled on our first couple series,” Lee acknowledged, “but then were able to rely on some big plays by our athletic skill positions to get the ball in the end zone.

“Seth, Harrison, Budda, Kolbe, and Max all had scoring plays of 30 yards or more,” he added. “It was fun to watch those guys compete.”

Friday Harbor, rebuilding under new coach Garrett Holmes, averted a shutout with two fourth quarter scores.

La Conner took just scant time this week to savor its lopsided win in the team’s debut at Whittaker Field. The Braves almost immediately began game planning for this Saturday’s visit to Orcas.

“It’s definitely a big away game for us,” Lee said of the much anticipated Oct. 3 clash with the Vikings. “We need to win this one to make it through the first round of league games without a loss.

“It would make the second half of the season much easier,” he stressed, “if we get a win this weekend.”