Butte Central’s froshmore football team capped an undefeated season Monday evening with a 42-0 victory over Corvallis at Torger Oaas Maroon Field. The Blue Devils kept it close for the first half but could not deny the Maroons their perfect season. Butte Central forced three third quarter turnovers and scored 28 points in the frame to put the game away.
The Maroons came out firing on all cylinders as they took the opening kickoff and briskly drove down the field in seven plays covering 62 yards. Quarterback Cole Harper and running back Kamen Richards accounted for all but seven yards on the drive which Richards finished with a 4-yard run. Harper added the 2 -point conversion on a keeper and BC lead 8-0 three minutes in.
Corvallis appeared ready to answer after putting together a couple first downs but the Maroons forced a turnover on downs at their own 32 and again marched down the field on a scoring drive. Chad Peterson joined Harper and Richards running the ball to set up a Harper to Kyle Harrington 9-yard touchdown pass which put Central up 14-0 right before the end of the first quarter.
The two teams played to a standstill throughout the second quarter. Butte Central had the best opportunity of the quarter when they drove to the Corvallis 15 but the Blue Devils forced their only turnover by recovering a fumble which allowed them to run out the clock and keep the score close heading into halftime.
Whatever the Maroon coaching staff said to the team during the intermission obviously worked. Butte Central’s defense took the ball away three times during the decisive third quarter, all of which were on the first plays of Corvallis drives. The Blue Devils returned the second half kickoff to the 35 and wanted to go deep on their first play from scrimmage.
Dalton Sessions played the pass perfectly and returned the ball 35 yards after the interception to set up the Central offense at the 25. The Maroons’ first drive of the third ended the same exact way as their opening possession of the game as Richards ran it in from 12 and Harper kept the conversion for a 22-0 lead. The Blue Devils fumbled away their first snap after getting it back and Harrington pounced on it to give the Maroons the ball at the 36. Harper scampered across from 9 yards out after Peterson kept the drive alive with a 4 yard run on fourth and 3.
The conversion fell incomplete but it was 28-0 Maroons. Corvallis managed to hold onto the ball long enough to drive deep into Central territory on their next possession.
On fourth and 7 Tyler Trudnowski gave it back to the offense as he swarmed in from his defensive end position and wrapped up a would be QB draw. Sessions accounted for all 78 yards of the ensuing Central drive. First he ran for 13 then took a perfectly executed swing pass down the sideline and went untouched for a 65 yard score and a 34-0 advantage.
The Blue Devils again turned it over on their first play as Colin McArthur made a diving interception. The following possession was polished off with a 40 yard Harrington touchdown run and a pass to Sessions for a 42-0 lead that kicked the mercy rule into effect.
The fourth quarter played out quickly as the clock ran continuously. Jake Michelotti recovered a fumble to end another Corvallis drive and preserve the second shutout in six games for the Maroon froshmores.
BC outscored their opponents 283-48 as they ran the table for an average score of 47-8.
The Maroons varsity will finish out the regular season portion of their schedule Friday evening at Memorial Stadium when the Dillon Beavers come to town with the Southwestern Conference title on the line.
— Submitted by Derek Hendrickson
