Council Out-duels Garden Valley 42-24, Takes League Lead
Council/Garden Valley is never a dull game. A fun but sometimes chippy rivalry always makes the stakes worth the price of admission. It just adds to the atmosphere when first place in league is at stake. Council started sluggish in the first few drives, perhaps still coming off the high of beating Tri Valley the previous week in an epic battle. They seemed flat and lacking the fire needed for a big game. As such, the Wolverines jumped out to a 16-0 lead, largely due to their big bruising fullback, Trevor Corn. Council finally struck back on a 34-yard touchdown run by quarterback Owen Hatfield, who lowered his shoulder and bowled over a defensive back on his way to the end zone. Hatfield then quickly recovered a perfectly executed onside kick by Wade Vining to give the Lumberjacks the ball again. Nine plays later, Hatfield scored on a 23-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 16-14. Council took the lead on a quarterback keeper that ended up being a broken run that reversed the field. When breaking down the play, the amazing thing was the improvised blocking. Wade Vining, Tucker Laine, Oscar Warner, and Remington Crowell all picked up backside blocks that formed a wall to free Hatfield for a run to the end zone. Council now led 22-16. Just before half, Garden Valley was driving deep into Council territory. On a pass play, Remington Crowell’s pressure on the quarterback led to an errant throw that Garrison Zielinski picked off in the end zone. That left Council over a minute before halftime. That’s more than they needed. Hatfield threw a bomb downfield to Decker McLinn, who made a spectacular catch and raced 81 yards to the end zone. Council led at halftime 28-16 and never looked back. One of the few negatives from the game came on the second-half kickoff. Garrison Zielinski, the Lumberjacks’ smooth receiver and fleet-footed cornerback, suffered a broken collarbone and was sidelined for the rest of the game. Council’s overall physicality is tough to match. Senior Wade Vining sets the tone, covering a lot of ground for a 230-lb middle linebacker. He also had some key blocks, both as a pulling guard and as a fullback, often creating open holes for Council rushers. Sophomore Remington Crowell, another top lineman, is also a problem on both sides of the ball for opponents. Even Council’s ball carriers run with a physical style, not shying away from contact. On defense, Wyatt Tharp and Remington Crowell both had sacks for the Lumberjacks. Wade Vining was the leading tackler with 9, followed by Decker McLinn with 6 and Owen Hatfield with 5. Oscar Warner, who plays nose tackle, had a particularly good game against Garden Valley’s inside run game, being involved in several tackles. Council now sits atop the Long Pin league standings, also owning wins over the current second and third place teams. They still have two games left in league play - this Friday at Cascade, and next Friday at Salmon River.
Passing: Owen Hatfield 7/11 for 138 yards (1TD); Decker McLinn 0/1.
Receiving: Decker McLinn 4 for 114 (1TD); Tucker Laine 1 for 18; Garrison Zielinski 2 for 6.
Rushing: Owen Hatfield 22 for 183 yards (5TD); Jim Tucker 8 for 21; Garrison Zielinski 5 for 14; Wade Vining 3 for 11; Decker McLinn 3 for 4.
Tackles: Wade Vining 9, Decker McLinn 6.5, Owen Hatfield 5, Remington Crowell 4.5, Oscar Warner 3.5, Jim Tucker 2.5, Garrison Zielinski 2, Wyatt Tharp .5, Ayden Heinemeyer .5
Sacks: Remington Crowell 1, Wyatt Tharp 1
Fumble Recoveries: Wade Vining 1
Onside Kick Recovery: Owen Hatfield 1
Interceptions Garrison Zielinski 1
Passes Defended: Decker McLinn 2, Jim Tucker 1
Punts: Jim Tucker 1 for 32
Returns: Garrison Zielinski 2 for 57
