Pirates chase, contain, capture Canadian Comets

POLSON – The Polson Pirates opened their fall football campaign a little bit differently than in seasons past by engaging in  some international relations by tangling tackles as well as testing their talent against the visiting Raymond Comets from Alberta, Canada.  For those unfamiliar with Albertan geography, Raymond is situated about halfway along an imaginary perpendicular line between Lethbridge and the US border with a slight jaunt to the east. After a few uneventful series by the offenses from both teams, it would be the Pirates chasing the Comets when the visitors unleased a 64 yard rumble into the end zone to tally the first score on the scoreboard.  But Polson would respond right back with a scoring drive of their own when Matt Rensvold reeled in a Tanner Wilson pass to take the lead 7-6, followed by  a quarterback keeper to make it 14-6 entering the second period.  Wilson would hit receiver Hudson Smith for another score with Jake Harrod kicking his third extra point to extend the lead further to 21-6 in favor of the Pirates.  Just when the host team was beginning to feel in control of their own destiny, the Comets dipped into their playbook for a bit of razzle dazzle when their quarterback threw what initially appeared to be an ordinary pass to their wide receiver, who then threw it back to the quarterback, who then rethrew the pass to  the same receiver now very open heading down the sideline to cap off the second Raymond scoring drive to trim the margin to 21-13 after the extra point.  The play bore all the earmarks of a design play, but conversation with one of the coaching staff after the game revealed that the play by design initially had another target in mind, but Polson defensive coverage forced their quarterback to improvise, finding an open Rhett Ellingson running down the sideline for his second TD.  

After intermission, Raymond then intercepted an errant pass to tighten the scoring even further 21-19.  Their attempt at knotting the score with a 2 point conversion was unsuccessful. Polson then responded to Raymond rambunctiousness by mounting its own scoring drive when Rensvold gathered in a 22 yard pass from Wilson to give the Pirates some breathing room.  What was originally intended to be a routine point after touchdown kick by Harrod took on a life of its own when an errant snap forced placeholder Danny DiGiallonardo to improvise.  After retrieving the ball, he rolled right and in a display of vintage DiGiallonardo backfield savvy, Danny D morphed into QB, opting to throw downfield to an awaiting Andrew Curley rather than lob a pitchout to Harrod, resulting in a two-point conversion to wrap up the Polson scoring for the night.  Raymond would score off another run by Ellingson to tighten the score once again to within a trio 29-26, but Polson would run out the clock as it knocked at the door of the endzone until time expired.

Raymond                                 6   7   6   7  -  26

Polson                                  14   7   8    0  -  29

1st quarter

R -  Rhett Ellingson 64 run (kick failed)

P - Matt Rensvold 23 yard pass from Tanner Wilson (Jacob Harrod kick)

P -  Wilson 16 yard run (Harrod kick)

2nd quarter

P - Hudson Smith 19 yard pass from Wilson (Harrod kick)

R - Ellingson 32 yard pass from Scott Mazutinec (Samuel Rompain kick)

3rd quarter

R -  Brady Sillito 45 yard interception return (pass failed)

P -  Rensvold 22 yard pass from Wilson (Andrew Curley pass from Danny DiGiallonardo)

4th quarter

R -  Ellingson 34 yard run (Rompain kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING - Wilson 14-73, Joe Gallatin 6-38, Rensvold 4-28, Jacob Clairmont 4-10, Wyatt Ducharme 1-(-8), DiGiallonardo 1-(-4).

PASSING - Wilson 13-19-1-155, DiGiallonardo 1-1-0-3, Ducharme 0-1.

RECEIVING - Rensvold 5-77, Cadis Chowning 2-24, Smith 1-19, Gallatin 2-16, Curley 1-10, Tim Russell 1-9, Harrod 1-3.

INT - Jonah Burke 1-29; KO RET- Clairmont 2-36, Smith 2-9; PNT RET - Clairmont 1-4; PNT - Harrod 5-139.

SOLO TACKLES - Rensvold 7, Gallatin 6, Smith 5, Mike Corrigan 5, Clairmont 4, Bridger Rowley 4, Chowning 2, Justin Young 2, Curley, Nathan Young, Kabe Forman-Webster.

TACKLE ASSISTS - Rensvold 4, Wilson 3, Rowley 2, Gallatin 2, Corrigan 2, Smith, Walter Wood, Clairmont, J.Young, Forman-Webster, Burke.   HARASS - Rensvold, Gallatin, Clairmont.  TIP - Rensvold, Curley.