Braves blast Concrete with key league grid win

A week after a tough league loss at Orcas, the wheels weren’t about to come off the La Conner High bus.

The Braves instead literally kept their feet on the ground by churning out 261 yards rushing to claim a key 35-18 NW2B win at home over Concrete on Friday, thus paving the way for what could be yet another deep post-season drive.

“The players rebounded like a good team should,” La Conner head coach Johnny Lee said afterward, “and we put ourselves in a position where we control our own destiny.”

The Braves, who improved to 5-1, completed a two-game regular season series sweep of archrival Concrete, having won 40-23 in the Lion’s Den last month.

There were some early bumps in the road this time, however.

Concrete scored on its first play of the night, a 49-yard TD jaunt by Lion signal caller Tyler Clark.

“But after that,” Lee noted, “our defense buckled down and played great football.”

The La Conner stop unit was led by Kaden Murdock, Seth Schuh, and Cameron Hansen, each of whom also had an impact for the Braves on offense.

Schuh led a La Conner ground-and-pound attack that moved the sticks and effectively kept the ball away from Clark & Co.

Schuh ran 15 times for 109 yards and two scores.

“Offensively,” Lee confirmed, “we wanted to keep it simple. Our run game was working thanks to some great blocking up front, and our athletic backs took advantage of their opportunities.”

Hansen gained 40 yards on four carries, highlighted by a 12-yard touchdown burst that gave La Conner a 14-6 lead at the break.

Murdock, meanwhile, was one of seven Braves that La Conner quarterback James Hulbert called on out of the backfield.

Hulbert passed sparingly, throwing just nine times, but when he did it was to good effect. He delivered a strike on a slant pattern to wideout Max Miller on third and long in the final stanza that extended what was La Conner’s last scoring drive, a march capped by Brady Miller’s 17-yard TD run.

“James did a great job of managing the game,” Lee said, “even though we didn’t ask him to put the ball in the air much.

“There really wasn’t much reason to,” added Lee. “Cameron ran hard. Budda (Luna) had some big plays. And Seth had another hard-nosed game.”

Schuh’s three-yard touchdown blast resulted in a 21-12 La Conner lead after three quarters.

Luna, who finished with 70 yards on 11 attempts, opened the fourth period with a crafty 12-yard dash to paydirt.

The Lions kept things interesting, perfectly executing the hook-and-ladder play for a fourth quarter touchdown.

“You have to tip your hat to them on that play,” Lee acknowledged, “but our defense pretty much controlled the game and made things tough on them all night.”

Still, Lee felt no lead was entirely safe. After all, it was Concrete the Braves were hosting.

“You know Concrete is going to score on you,” he told La Conner Weekly News on Monday. “They’re a tough, physical team that really makes you work.”

La Conner has more work cut out for it when the Braves take a respite from conference action this Friday with a rare visit to the Wenatchee Apple Bowl for a 6 p.m. non-league date opposite Wilbur-Creston.