Raiders beat the Bears in chaotic game

The Lake Roosevelt Raiders defeated the Brewster Bears 36-14 in Coulee Dam Friday to go 4-0 for the season and leading the league, the first time LR has had this good of a record since anyone can remember.

There was never a dull moment on the field Friday night. Touchdowns were followed by interceptions which were followed by interceptions, followed by injuries. During the game, two Brewster players were taken off the field on gurneys.

The Raider players all wore the number 32 on the back of their helmets to honor Josiah Desautel, who is out for the season due to complications resulting from past concussions.

The Raiders took an early lead, with Nathaniel Hall running up the middle for a touchdown. Quarterback Stephen Flowers soon ran one in himself, putting the Raiders up 14-0, including a two-point conversion pass to Kolby Picard.

The second quarter saw Brewster score a touchdown, but the Raiders answered right back with Flowers running into the end zone again, making the score 20-6. Soon after kicking it off back to the Bears, Hall intercepted a pass to regain possession for the Raiders.

LR intercepted another pass in the third quarter, cashing in on the turnover when Flowers ran into the endzone for the third time that night on a 30-plus-yard run. Hall scored the final TD for the Raiders on a Beastmode-like, 39-yard run, lying on the field afterward for a moment with a bad cramp before limping off with a combination of pain and joy on his face.

His teammates walked by him on the sidelines as he received treatment for his cramp. "Oh it's just a cramp? Ah, just drink some water," his teammates joked. "The pain was totally worth it," Hall said.

The Bears scored another touchdown in the fourth, making the score 36-14, but the clock was winding down.

In the beginning of the year, when asked what game they looked forward to the most, the Raider captains all said Brewster.

"All the work paid off," Hall said, looking at the scoreboard as the final minute was ticking down. "We've been working on this all year, and this game has been on my mind this whole time. Now we go on to Oroville."

Said Head Coach Loren Endsley on Hall: "At running back he is a great combination of speed and power. As a leader he is a huge part of this team's attitude and demeanor."

That attitude includes not settling for good enough, if Flowers' insight is any indication.

"We could have played better," he said, "but we can look toward the next game. We have four practices until then to get ready."

The Raider defense did their job too, putting a lot of pressure on the Brewster offense, forcing bad passes from the quarterback and stopping runs dead in their tracks.

"The defensive line as a whole was fantastic in creating problems," Endsley said. "Elijah Harris forced double and triple teams the whole night, allowing others to make huge plays. Renford Sanchez, Angelo Clark, and Darian Lindsey all had great games ... getting in the backfield."

The Raiders play in Oroville on Friday, Sept 30, against the 3-2 Hornets.

Lake Roosevelt vs Brewster Scoring Summary

LR 14 6 16 0_36

Brew. 0 6 0 8_14

First Quarter

LR_Hall 7 run

LR_Flowers 3 run

Second Quarter

BR_#15 19 run

LR_Flowers 2 run

Third Quarter

LR_Flowers 34 Run

LR_Hall 39 Run

Fourth Quarter

BR_#11 15 pass from #5

LR INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

PASSING_Flowers 6 for 14, 31; Picard 1 for 2, 15

RUSHING_Hall 15-125, 2 TD; Flowers 10-107, 3 TD; Nichols 7-44; Picard 3-1

RECEIVING_Kiser 2-18; Bird 1-15; Picard 2-9; Nichols 2-4

DEFENSE_Flowers 9 Tackles, 3 TFL, 1 FF; Lindsey 6 Tackles, 5 TFL, 1 Sack; Nichols 6 Tackles, 1 TFL; Sanchez 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks; Elijah Harris 4 Tackles, 2 TFL; Horn 4 Tackles; A. Clark 2 Tackles, 2 TFL; St. Pierre 2 Tackles; Evan Harris 2 Tackles; Steinert 2 Tackles; Yazzie 2 Tackles; Cleveland 1 Tackle, 1 TFL; Hall 1 Tackle, 1 Int; Picard 2 Int; Bird 1 Tackle; T. Clark 1 Tackle; Vega 1 Tackle