Left: Eighth grade Pioneer Hunter Preston runs in the first touchdown for Potomac Oct. 2 in Seeley Lake. Right: Eighth grade Klayton Kovatch runs in the final touchdown for the Eagles. He scored twice in the game.
Eighth-grade Eagle Kaden Thornsberry pulls Potomac eighth-grader Hunter Preston's flag early in the game.
Eighth-grader Sean Mercado was all alone in the end zone putting the first points on the board for the Eagles. Mercado scored two of the five touchdowns for the Eagles.
Eighth-grader Ben Haley stays just out of Hunter Preston's reach for the Eagle's third touchdown.
Potomac seventh-grader Owen Dry able to outrun the Eagle's defense for Potomac's second touchdown.
SEELEY LAKE – The flag football season is quickly coming to an end for the Seeley Lake Elementary Eagles and Potomac Pioneers. While the Eagles came out on top when the two teams met in Seeley Lake, Oct. 2, both coaches agree it has been a great season.
SLE Eagles
The Eagles hovered around 20 players for the season and were stacked with nine, eighth graders.
"We have a good core of eighth graders so that helps with the success we are having. We have those kids that have been in the program," said Head Coach Brett Haines. "We are really going to miss them next year."
After long-time offensive coach Dave Evans did not return this year, Haines designed his own offense this year.
"I've been trying to get the kids to learn my offense, making adjustments with my plays because they are all new," said Haines. "If they don't work, we don't run them. If they do, we stick to it. We've been scoring quite a bit."
Haines said he has some great players. While Sean Mercado has scored the majority of the touchdowns, Haines said everyone has seen a little bit of the end zone.
"As whole we are pretty strong and have the depth to move the ball," said Haines. "We are a really balanced attack and can run different plays. We have had quite a bit of success on the offensive side."
While the focus has been developing a good offense, Haines said they have many different plays they can run on defense as well.
"We've been attacking people with our talent defensively," said Haines.
The Eagle's only loss for the season was to Clark Fork. Haines said they were the toughest team they have played and they held them to 14 points.
"It's been a great season. They are a fun bunch to work with, they figure things out and they go out there and give you good effort," said Haines. "I'm really excited about our football season and I hate to see it come to an end."
The last game of the season is Oct. 16 at home against Lone Rock.
Potomac Pioneers
Potomac's head coach Marty Preston said the Pioneers are doing great and have showed a lot of improvement this season. On their team of 16 players, they only have two eighth graders and a couple seventh graders. The rest are in fifth and sixth grade.
"We want to put the team together and keep everyone playing, happy and having fun," said Preston. "
Preston said the season started off with a lot of kids that have never played football before and "a lot of them now are doing pretty darn good learning all the plays and learning how to play football and what their jobs are. To me it is amazing to see such great improvement."
Preston attributes assistant coach Jake Nissen's knowledge and understand of football for the team's improvement this season.
"We are going to give it our best and hope we can take home at least one more win for the season," said Preston.
The Pioneer's last scheduled game is Oct. 10 against Clinton.
Eagles vs. Pioneers, Oct. 2 in Seeley Lake
In the first half, eighth-grader Sean Mercado wasted no time putting points on the board for the Eagles after a hand-off from quarterback Wyatt Stout. Eight-grader Ben Haley ran in the two-point conversion bringing the score to 8-0.
Mercado wasn't done in the end zone as he ran in another touchdown before the half. Haley ran in a third touchdown for the Eagles before the half with Johnnie Stout picking up the two-point conversion. Score at the half was 22-0, Eagles.
The Pioneers put their first points on the board when eighth-grader Hunter Preston scored in the third quarter.
The action picked back up in the fourth quarter. Klayton Kovatch ran for two touchdowns for the Eagles. Johnnie Stout and Haley each picked up a two-point conversion.
Seventh grader Owen Dry scored for the Pioneers and Preston ran in the two-point conversion.
Preston was able to pick up one more touchdown for the Pioneers with less than a minute left to play when he picked off a pitch from Eagles quarterback Tyler Haines.
"It was one of those plays where [Preston] was in the right place at the right time," said Haines who added he came through the line untouched.
The Eagles won with a final score of 38-20.
"That was a great game, actually one of the best games we've had," said Preston. "It was a great atmosphere, everyone had a great attitude and that is the kind of games we like to play."
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