Two wide: Bagnell and Mohr

Seniors Bagnell and Mohr were dangerous threats for Polson this

year.

POLSON - The Polson Pirates liked throwing the ball this season, as they proved to have one of the most dynamic and balanced offenses in the Northwest-ern A conference. A large part of that had to do with their receiving corp which was able to feed off one another's success and terrorize opposing team's secondary.

It's good to have one weapon to throw to, it's even better to have two.

When Polson first faced Frenchtown in their opening game of the season, senior wide receiver Kyle Bagnell torched them for 12 catches, 205 yards and two touchdowns.

When the Pirates faced the Broncs again in the first round of the playoffs, they were prepared. Bagnell caught just two passes for 20 yards. However, what they hadn't accounted for was senior Lois Mohr. The wide receiver had missed the first game because of a missed physical and apparently snuck under the entire defensive radar.

While the Broncs had Bagnell in check, Mohr caught six balls for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

"Having a player like Bagnell can free up any wide receiver," Mohr said.

It wasn't the first time this has happened either. Bagnell has faced double coverage and extra attention all season, and it's understandable as he racked up 787 yards on 57 catches and seven touchdowns.

"It seemed like after a big game I'd get focused in on," Bagnell said.

Mohr was able to take advantage of this in the fourth game of the regular season against Anaconda. Bagnell had two catches for 25 yards, while Mohr had six catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.

"It's definitely good to get him going," Bagnell said. "I feel fine about it as long as we move the ball. I'd rather have them dig down on me."

At 6'3" and 190 pounds, it's easy to see why Polson head coach Scott Wilson likes to get Mohr the ball. He can also come up big in the clutch as Mohr caught a touchdown pass in the first overtime of the Pirates 27-21 victory over Frenchtown in the first round of the play-offs.

"I felt calm and I felt like I got the job done," Mohr said. "It was a seven-yard slant and I caught the defender inside."

Polson would score in the second overtime and have their extra-point blocked, meaning that the Pirates had to make a thrilling defensive stand for the win.

"We've been under pressure all year," Mohr, who's team has been in five games decided by less than two touchdowns, said. "As a team, it brings us together."

It was that team play and kids sticking to their assignments that won the game and numerous contest during the season. Wilson praised the way his team worked together and never showed any signs of quitting. That comes in handy during an overtime playoff game.

"I've never been in an overtime game before in my life," Bagnell said. "It was crazy."

Leading the troops has been junior quarterback Vince DiGiallonardo, who has killed teams with both his legs and his arm. He led the team with 793 rushing yards and 12 touchdown while throwing for 1,357 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"It definitely opens things up for us because the linebackers have to stay home," Bagnell, who worked out with DiGiallonardo all summer to develop an ESP-like sense of where each other is out on the field, said. "We're pretty much in sync. He knows what I'm going to do."

Mohr understands what a weapon DiGiallonardo is when he decides to run and knows exactly what to do when his quarterback takes off.

"Go find someone to hit and block," he said.

While Polson came into this season with a lot of question marks, there were certainly a lot of answers this year.

The Pirates were able to snap a postseason losing streak that dated back to 2003 and were just two wins away from the state championship game. And chances are, the opposing team would have scouted Bagnell and Mohr.