Scotties Football Felled by Big Timber In Lewistown

The Scotties' 2015 woes were compounded by Big Timber in Lewistown on Sept. 18.

The team made pointed offensive adjustments in preparation for what head coach Greg Liebelt had called a "winnable game" the Monday following last weekend's 40-0 defeat at Baker.

"If we're going to get things going," he said, "this is when it's going to happen."

The pointed ultimatum - the importance of which Liebelt stoked in his players' hearts through a week of gritty practice - must have flickered and died somewhere between Glasgow and Lewistown.

"We didn't get what we wanted out of [the game], that's for sure," said the coach.

For two second-half quarters, the teams traded jabs, neither able to break through the other's defensive front. Yet while the Scotties' drives sputtered in the same uninspiring fashion in the opening two periods, the Herders forced their strange medicine down the throats of their Northeastern rivals, twice succeeding in galloping across the goal line. 

At the half, the score stood 14-0. The Scotties have been outscored 54-0 in their past two games' first 24 minutes.

The second half saw sophomore Darrin Wersal step in at quarterback for an ineffective Trent Herbert. Herbert posted a 9-24 line with 71 yards and an interception.

"Darrin throws hard, has pocket presence," said Liebelt. "We wanted to give him the opportunity to run the offense."

Though Wersal's statistics project similarly to Herbert's - 5-15 for 66 yards with 2 INT and a fumble - Liebelt was encouraged by his performance. "He made some nice throws," he said, "and we were able to go back to our more traditional, pro-style offense."

Liebelt says that Wersal will "100 percent" be the starting quarterback - at least for the time being.

"We're going to continue to evaluate our guys and continue to allow them to compete for places," he said. "Nothing's set in stone. It's no different at the quarterback position than anywhere else. Trent is still our starting safety and backup QB. We need to utilize his athleticism, so the plan is to throw him in at wide receiver."

The Glasgow offense did little to bestow upon spectators the notion that the progress Liebelt had expected to jumpstart by tweaking his strategy was being actualized. In spite of appearances, the coach notes that he's comfortable with the steps his team is taking to better itself.

"We're currently able to do fairly well at some things," he said, "yet we continue to struggle at others. We were able to drive the ball [against Big Timber] - being able to do it consistently is the key. If you can't put together 10-12 plays where everyone executes properly, it leaves you in a tough spot."

For a Scotties team now sitting a half-game behind 0-3 Harlem at the foot of the district 2B standings, dreams of a playoff berth all but quashed, the reality of motivation lays itself bare in the day-to-day grind. Each well-executed tackle, each pinpoint pass - in practice as in a game - leaves a small boot-mark of purpose in the hard Montana soil, signaling that naught is ever done in vain, even among a crew of winless warriors.

"We're going to continue to find things that'll work with our guys," said Liebelt. "We've got a tough week coming up against probably the number one team in the state, [Fairfield]. Of Colstrip, Baker, Fairfield, we've played three of the top squads in the power rankings. We'll be battle-tested, I guess. It's a test; we'll never quit working hard."

Glasgow Scotties

Offensive Stats

Team Totals:

13 first downs

227 yards

Rushing Totals:

Team: 20 carries, 90 yards, 1 fumble

Benji Phillips: 15 carries, 58 yards

Trent Herbert: 3 carries, 21 yards

Receiving:

Phillips: 2 rec, 22 yards

Luke Breigenzer: 4 rec, 47 yards

Lane Nickels: 5 rec, 38 yards

Passing:

Team: 14-39, 137 yards, 3 INT

Herbert: 9-24, 71 yards, 1 INT

Darrin Wersal: 5-15, 66 yards, 2 INT, 1 fumble