Football Undone in Fairfield

A winless Glasgow squad traveled west last Friday to meet the undefeated Eagles of Fairfield. Though they fought to annul the specious indicators which pointed to an impending defeat - comparative lacks of experience, size, and victories - the Scotties failed to translate that effort into a victory, and continue their battle for the season's first tartan W.

The Scotties, undeterred by last week's shutout loss which saw a quarterback change and general disarray among personnel, were buoyed in the early going, spared pre-game butterflies by the apparent long odds of their surprising their hosts.

"The game started out terrific for us," said coach Greg Liebelt. "Our goal was to take it one series at a time and make them punt as often as possible."

The team forced a three-and-out on Fairfield's first offensive possession, courtesy of what Liebelt called "two solid tackles from Benji Phillips and a nice pass breakup from Trent Herbert."

Fairfield, however - the number-one ranked Class B team in the state, per the Montana High School Football Power Rankings - administered dose after dose of its unadulterated power, and soon crushed the fight out of its visitors' hearts.

Phillips left the game midway through the first half after being drilled while recovering a fumbled snap. "That was a real turning point for us," said Liebelt. "Once we lost him, things really started spiraling."

The Scotties also lost Lane Nickels to a hyperextended elbow and Lane Provencher to a collarbone injury. The Eagles, taking advantage of a Glasgow squad scrambling to fill in three gaping holes in its starting eleven, ran the score to 35-0 before the break.

"It was a case of being inexperienced and playing against a formidable opponent," said Liebelt.

Herbert, sophomore and erstwhile starting quarterback, adjusted to his reduced role with aplomb. "Trent had a great game on defense," said Liebelt. "He made some plays."

New QB1 Darrin Wersal struggled to maintain his offense's coherency in the face of relentless Fairfield pressure. "Darrin made some good throws," said Liebelt. "But like the rest of the guys, he made some mistakes."

Liebelt noted team chemistry to be as high as ever, and reiterated the pride he has in his team.  This changes nothing in the way of their succumbing to a third straight shutout. 

"We've played three of the top four teams in Class B so far," he said. "And the fourth Class B team we played just beat the defending state champs by two touchdowns. This weekend [versus Wolf Point] will be a good opportunity for us to get our first win."

Glasgow hosts the Wolves on Oct. 2 in its annual homecoming tilt. 

"They beat Harlem and Poplar - not the strongest of teams," said Liebelt. "They've got some good athletes, some good size, and they play with confidence."

Wolf Point sits at 2-3, and will take Scottie Field Friday on the heels of a 42-point win. 

"They think Glasgow's an easy team to beat this year," said Liebelt. "They want to come up here and spoil our homecoming. It's going to be an exciting, competitive game. I fully expect the guys to come out, execute, and get the victory."