By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
Big Horn football faced the Flint Creek Titans on Friday, Sept. 12. Flint Creek, a co-op of Drummond and Granite, worked around the Big Horns to win 50-6.
While Lone Peak High School fought their way back to gain possession of the ball throughout the first half, they struggled against a snappy Titan defense, which palmed passes and was able to snatch balls for fumbles and interceptions. This, combined with a dutiful offense, was a tough match for the Big Horns, who suffered player injuries and a short bench Friday night.
A couple of point-scorers on the Titans included senior Austin Knoeller and junior Jake Dunhauer, who scored touchdowns in the first half to get Flint Creek’s lead underway.
But to say the Big Horns appeared ready for defeat in the first half would be a mistake. About a minute out from the end of the second quarter, freshmen Jens Biggerstaff and senior Ebe Grabow collaborated from the 15 yard line in Lone Peak territory. As Grabow shot down the right side of the field, Biggerstaff sent a ball across the field, spiraling directly in Grabow’s hands at the 20 yard line, securely on Flint Creek’s end of the field.
While there wasn’t enough time before halftime to capitalize, it seemed there may be a shift in store for the next half. Several following Big Horn plays would support that change in tone—a Big Horn touchdown, passed from Biggerstaff to Grabow in the Titan’s end zone and tackles by junior Thomas Trulen. But Flint Creek’s 34-0 lead at the start of the second half, as well as their work to secure and execute on turnovers resulted in victory for the Titans.
Head coach Dustin Shipman saw some shining moments from the Big Horns Friday night.
“ I think there were lots of highlight moments. I mean, you have Ebe Grabow demonstrating what a great athlete he is, Jens Biggerstaff comes in as a freshman quarterback against a team that I think is ranked top 10 in the state right now, shows a lot of poise,” Shipman said.
“I thought there were flashes of where our line played really well. I thought the defense stood up pretty well,” he said. Shipman noted that the Big Horns are going to look forward to the next game, and hopefully get some more players back on the field.
In moments like this, Shipman reminds players that it’s a long season ahead, and it’s up to the whole squad to get back to improving their play to come out on the other side with a win.
“ I’m looking forward to the rest of the season as I always am. It’ll be nice to get some of the guys we’ve got banged up, get them back practicing … I’m looking forward to the next game, putting this game behind us,” Shipman said. Next up is a game at home against Twin Bridges High School on Friday, Sept. 17.
