Late rally denies Bluejays senior night victory

The Three Lakes-Phelps varsity football team took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter last Friday before falling 28-20 to the Redmen of Rib Lake High School. The Bluejays were looking to string back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but the clock ran out trailing by a touchdown in front of a large senior night crowd in Three Lakes. The Jays now stand mid-pack in the Northwoods-East Conference with an overall 4-2 record, and trail top-seeded Hurley by three games within the conference.

As with nearly every game this season, the Bluejays had exceptional performances by key players. Top on the list this week was the effort given by quarterback Sam Koshuta. He not only helped the Jays come from behind early in the game with a 35-yard pass to a wide-open Owen Liebscher, but he also scored two touchdowns using his feet in an impressive statistical night of 208 yards rushing. He also threw a 2-point conversion pass to Jack Westfall,and was one of the defensive leaders with 21 total tackles.

Pat George is the head coach for the Bluejays and said that he came into this contest with optimism. “Rib Lake is a solid team,” he said, “but after watching film and knowing our players, I thought this was a winnable game. It didn’t go as planned, but we are a young team, and this is another learning experience for the boys. It’s always difficult to lose a close game, but the competitive nature of a close game helps build maturity on the field. These kids never quit, and I was happy to see solid efforts through the final minute. It may be a tough week of practice ahead, but we will be better in the next game.”

Things started rough for the Bluejays when Rib Lake recovered an on-side kick three seconds into the game. Then, when the Jays had the Redmen contained, forcing a fourth-and-14 situation, Rib Lake was able to execute a long quarterback run for a first down deep in Bluejay territory. This led to the first touchdown of the night, leaving the Jays down 6-0 before the clock had a chance to warm up.

The Bluejays responded quickly during their first full possession when Koshuta found Liebscher open on the 10-yard line and zipped a long pass to his primary target, who was able to stroll into the end zone untouched, leaving the game tied with six points each. Koshuta then hit Westfall with a quick shovel pass for the 2-point conversion, giving the Bluejays an 8-6 lead. Liebscher was double- and triple-teamed all night, yet still managed 85 yards of offense, including the touchdown score.

The teams would trade touchdowns during the balance of the first half, and then each was scoreless in the third quarter as the Jays held on to a 14-12 lead midway through the fourth quarter. During the next few minutes, however, Rib Lake would put up 14 unanswered points to grab a 28-14 lead. The Bluejays battled back, largely on the feet of Koshuta, as he broke free for a 40-yard run, and then a quick 8-point score to bring the Jays back to within a touchdown of the Redmen.

Unfortunately for the Bluejays, there was simply no time available for another possession, and the game ended with Rib Lake walking away with the 28-20 win. Coach George said after the game that his team played solid defense against a strong and physical opponent, and called out the efforts of Bentley Bills, who led the team with 28 total tackles, and Zach Weavers, who had 17 tackles to complement another game with excellent long-yardage punting.

During the halftime break, the team celebrated the three seniors on the field for the Bluejays: Liebscher, Weavers and Garrett Mandli. They were presented with keepsakes, while a statement of appreciation by coach George was read over the speaker system to loud cheers by the home crowd. The Bluejays will next face the Hornets of Elcho-White Lake at 7:00 p.m. this Friday, October 2, at Three Lakes High School.