POTOSI - Despite not running a single offensive play during the first quarter of last Friday night’s non-conference football game, the Potosi varsity football team posted a 44-8 victory over visiting Kickapoo/La Farge.
With the win, coach Mark Siegert’s squad improved to 3-0 overall, while remaining 2-0 in the Six Rivers conference.
Other 3-0 conference teams include Black Hawk, Cassville and Pecatonica/Argyle, the Comets and Vikings being the only 3-0 teams in conference play.
Against Kickapoo/La Farge, the Chieftains amassed 306 yards of total offense to their opponent’s 149.
The visiting team chewed up most of the first quarter clock on two possessions, the first ending in a one-yard TD run.
On the ensuing kick off, Potosi speedster Chase Kruser took the offering 83 yards to the end zone, while Trevor Ehlen’s two-point conversion run tied the game at 8-8.
Kickapoo/La Farge then ran out the rest of the first-quarter clock on their next possession.
In the second quarter though, Ehlen scored a pair of touchdowns for the Chieftains, the first from one yard out, the second from 27 yards.
Potosi took a 22-8 lead into the locker room at the half.
In the third quarter, coach Siegert’s squad scored on all three of its possessions.
The first was a 17-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Kaiser to fellow junior Daniel Post.
Then, junior Riley Hawes hauled in a 21-yard TD pass from Kaiser, which was followed by a one-yard TD plunge by sophomore Teagan Friederick.
In all, the Chieftains finished with three rushing touchdowns and two through the air.
“We spread the ball around quite a bit, and we have a bunch of guys stepping up,” said coach Siegert.
“I thought our focus really improved after the first half. I thought our intensity level and all that kind of stuff was good, and that our energy level was really good, but we had some really unnecessary penalties. Penalties of aggression.”
In the first half of Friday night’s contest, Potosi had four offside penalties to start the game, and then had a few holding penalties that put them in bad positions. In all, the Chieftains had eight penalties for 64 yards.
On the night though, Potosi ran for 200 yards on 24 attempts, and was led by Trevor Ehlen’s 95 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.
Through the air, Kyle Kaiser was a perfect 8-for-8 on pass attempts, for 106 yards and two TDs.
“Kyle is very efficient,” said coach Siegert of his quarterback. “He’s very, very good at taking what a defense is giving him. He’s doing a great job of picking up the things that we’ve given him and running with them.”
The entire Chieftains offense has proven to be very good at taking what the defense gives them this year.
“We’ll take what people give us. If there’s too many people in the box, it’s silly to run against a brick wall, so we’re going to try to take single coverage and try to exploit that,” Siegert said.
This Friday night will be a battle between two unbeaten, as Cassville (3-0, 3-0) travels to Potosi (2-0, 3-0) for a 7 p.m. contest.
The Comets are coming off a 21-12 victory over Belmont, and have also beaten River Ridge, 35-18, and Highland, 46-7, this year.
The Comets come into Friday night’s game averaging 33.6 points per game, while giving up an average of 12.3.
Potosi is averaging 42 points per game on offense, while its defense has given up an average of 6.6 points per contest.
Potosi 44,
Kickapoo/La Farge 8
(from Friday, Sept. 6)
K/LF 8 0 0 0 - 8
Potosi 8 14 22 0 - 44
First quarter
K/LF - Jacob, 1-yard run (Parker run)
P - Kruser, 83-yard kick return (Ehlen run)
Second quarter
P - Ehlen, 1-yard run (Friederick run)
P - Ehlen, 27-yard run (pass failed)
Third quarter
P - Post, 17-yard pass from Kaiser (pass failed)
P - Hawes, 21-yard pass from Kaiser (Curtis run)
P - Friederick, 1-yard run (Ehlen run)
Team statistics
First downs - K 11, P 12. Rushing - K 54-152, P 24-200. Passing yards - K -3, P 106. Passes - K 1-6-0, P 8-8-0. Fumbles-lost - K 0-0, P 2-0. Penalties-yards - K 5-45, P 8-64.
Individual leaders
Rushing - K: Beb Jacobs 15-60; P: Trevor Ehlen 7-95. Passing - K: Ethan Wise 1-6-0, -3; P: Kyle Kaiser 8-8-0, 106. Receiving - K: Ben Jacobs 1-(-3); P: Chase Kruser 3-47.