Chiefs stymie Big Red machine in opener
At Ronan in their season debut on Sgt. Parrish Memorial Field, the host Chiefs flipped the script on their running clock shutout loss they sustained last season by wedging the shoe onto the other foot as they blanked the visiting Browning Indians.
Both offense as well as defense rose to the occasion for the orange & black. Ronan pulled the rug out from under any momentum Browning was hoping to initiate in their first handful of series when they plucked a pair of interceptions out of the air. Subsequently, the host Ronan offense scored twice on the ground in the first quarter with an application of their triple D offensive package, their dynamic duo of Daniels, first with a quarterback keeper by Daniel Kelsch and thereafter a handoff rumble into the endzone by Daniel Bishop.
A pair of fumble recoveries would set up a pair of tallies in the second quarter with two pass conversions adding the extra bonus points for a 30-0 halftime lead.
Further thickening agents of the alphabet soup that bogged down Browning was the quintuple C combination of Caleb Cheff, Colter Cornwall and Payton Cates. Cheff and Cornwell collaborated on a trio of interceptions, Cates forcing as well as recovering multiple fumbles. Cornwell jumped a Browning passing lane to intercept a pass intended for the visiting receiver, then wove his way through traffic to paydirt for the lone score of the third frame. It would be the second interception of the evening by Cornwell, who also competes on the Ronan golf team.
The final scoring drive of the contest would be capped by an 18 yard reception by James Kenelty from Daniel Kelsch.
Both teams were plagued by an expected share of early season kinks that included errant trajectory malfunctions in the passing department or snap miscues behind center. But the Chiefs ironed out many of these wrinkles as the game progressed, while they exploited an atypical prevalence of miscues by their visitors.
The win avenged the distaste of the loss last season while building momentum for the upcoming schedule.
The Chiefs travel to Columbia Falls next weekend.
Ronan 42, Browning 0
Ronan (1-0), Browning (0-1)
Browning 0 0 0 0 – 0
Ronan 14 16 6 6 – 42
R – Daniel Kelsch 5 run (conv run after pass stopped)
R – Daniel Bishop 10 run (Trapper McAllister pass from Kelsch)
R – Colter Cornwell 37 pass from Kelsch (McAllister pass from Kelsch)
R – McAllister 5 pass from Kelsch (Caleb Cheff pass from Kelsch)
R – Cornwell 37 interception return (run failed)
R – James Kenelty 20 pass from Kelsch (pass intercepted)
RUSH – B27-84 (Cody Boggs 12-52, Cody Carlson 3-35), R (Kelsch 11-38, Bishop 6-27, Tristan Fisher 1-19, T.McAllister 2-18, C.Cornwell 1-8, C.Cheff 1-2, Trenton Burland 1-2, T.Coffman 1-(-4)). PASS – B(Jesse Carlson 7-19-59-4, Payton Grant 0-1), R(Kelsch 9-19-160-1, Ted Coffman 0-1). REC – B7-59 (Cody Carleson 6-43), R9-160 (C.Cornwell 3-70, T.McAllister 3-50, Kenelty 2-29, Bishop 1-11). ). KOR – R (Bishop 1-20). PRET – R (Cornwell 2-14). KO – R(Tristan Fisher 7-245). PNT – R(C.Cheff 3-123)
INT – B1 (Maurice RedHorn 1-15), R5 (Cornwell 2, Cheff, Kelsch, McAllister). IR – Cornwell. FF – R4 (Cates 3, D.Kelch). FR – B2 (Blayne DeRoche, Chance Kittson), R5 (Payton Cates, Kelsch, Tristan Fisher, Cheff). PD – Cornwell 2, Cheff, Jasen Rodda. SK – B2(G.Walker, T.Burdeau), R(Cates). TFL – Dylan Kelch, Bishop, T.Fisher, Cates, Cornwell. TKL/AST – B19t11a(C.Carlson 3t, G.Walker 3t), R15t28a(T.Fisher 2t5a, C.Cheff 2t4a, D.Kelch 3t1a, Kelsch 2t2a, Bishop 2t1a, Cates 2t1a, Cornwell 1t3a, T.McAllister 1t1a, Jasen Rodda 3a, Kenelty 2a, Mason Clairmont 2a, Lathan Anderson 1a, Hunter Learn 1a, Robby McCrea 1a. (Fr28Aug20)