Sports

Resilient Sioux overcome mistakes in Mohall

By Staff reports

09/02/2014

The Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn (W-N-G) football opened its 2014 season with a win last Tuesday, defeating Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (M-L-S) in Mohall.

Junior quarterback Reese Schell made his first appearnce under center for the Sioux’s varsity team against the Mavericks.

It was a solid debut outing, with Schell gaining 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground while also throwing for two more scores and another 147 yards through the air.

M-L-S’s lone score on the day was in part on Schell, however. An interception on the final play of the first half resulted in the Mavericks’ Connor Brackenbury going 69 yards the other way for a M-L-S touchdown.

After that, though, W-N-G head coach Tom Nesvold felt his new No. 1 quarterback settled down well and did what was needed in the second half.

“Down the stretch, Reese carried the ball well for us and was a horse for us,” Nesvold said. “A lot of kids were going out with cramps and things like that from the heat, but he stuck in there and ran the ball really well.”

The Sioux’s tailback partnership of Chase Conway and Brennon Lovell combined for another 52 yards gained.

When it came to W-N-G’s air attack, wide receiver and backup quarterback Trent Marquart made three catches against M-L-S for 84 yards.

Conway, who also serves as a linebacker for the Sioux, led W-N-G’s defense with seven tackles and one fumble recovery.

Both teams put on display their fair share of mistakes. Perhaps most notable was M-L-S committing five turnovers in the game, including a fumble on the Mavericks’ first play from scrimmage.

Brackenbury’s pick-six could have easily derailed the Sioux in the second half. However, Nesvold said he thought his team showed improvement in the final two quarters of the game.

“We needed to toughen up a little more in the second half than we did in the first, and I think we did that,” Nesvold said. “We got a little bit tired, too, but the first game out there has a lot to do with it.

“We were thinking more in the first half than reacting, but it’ll come with experience that they play faster when they don’t have to think about things too much, so we’ve just got to continue to work on little things.”