Game Summary/Box Score
June 2, 2007 Bitterroot Blaze at Missoula Phoenix @ Washington-Grizzly
Stadium
BITTERROOT 20 MISSOULA 10
MISSOULA – After being “snake-bit” late in
the first half when two botched center/quarterback exchanges and resulting
fumbles lead to two late first half Missoula Phoenix scores… and a halftime
deficit, the Bitterroot Blaze completed and improbable undefeated regular
season with a come-from-behind 20-10 victory at Washingto-Grizzly Stadium over
the Missoula Phoenix… clinching the Northern Conference #1 seed.
The powerful Blaze offense,
in fact, could not generate a single score until there was only 1:49 remaining
in the 3rd quarter when reigning AA rushing champion and RMFL
Offensive MVP, Justin Nixon, powered in from 3 yards out to give the Blaze a
13-10 lead heading into the 4th quarter. Nixon would end up with 101 yards on 20 carries to lead a Blaze
offense that was held to only 202 total net yards for the game.
The Blaze, however, did
strike first late in the first quarter when Jamie Jones broke through and
blocked Mark Spencer’s punt attempt. Jones got the right hop and picked up the
loose ball and raced the final 35-yards for the games first touchdown; a 7-0
lead the Blaze would hold until late in the 2nd quarter as both
defenses controlled the game throughout.
The Blaze would intercept
top-rated Missoula passer, Shane Jurasek 4 times, force a fumble and record 5
sacks as they held the Phoenix offense to only 168 total net yards. It was, however, the second half shut out of
the Phoenix offense that was the difference in pulling away as the Bitterroot
offense was finally able to push across a couple of scores late in the 3rd
quarter and earlier in the 4th quarter.
The Blaze defense was lead,
once again, by Jamie Jones, who not only had the big special teams score, also
had 5-1/2 tackles and a sack. Brian
Buckreus, added to his league leading sack total with another 2-1/2 sacks
against a very solid Missoula Phoenix offensive line. Multi-talented star, Chris Brown recorded 6 tackles to lead the
Blaze and Kurt Rausch had 2 of the 4 interceptions from the Blaze defensive
backfield.
It was, however, a
defensive effort to be proud of, for sure by the Phoenix unit as well. The Phoenix “d” improved from two weeks
earlier, when although giving up only one touchdown, was pushed around for over
300 rushing yards. Jeff Maynard (6 tackles), Mike Hardenburgh (4-1/2 tackles)
and Tony Sanderson (4 tackles) lead the Missoula charge in cutting that number almost
in half (155 rushing yards), but it wasn’t enough to come up with the ever
elusive victory over their rivals from down south.
The Blaze will now have two
straight weeks off to prepare for the playoff winner of the #3 vs. #2 Mountain
Conference seed. That game will be in
Darby, Montana on June 23rd.
The Phoenix, having locked up the #2 seed will now await the survivor of
the two-game series between Great Falls and Helena. They’ll host that at
Washington-Grizzly on June 16th.
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Bitterroot Blaze |
6 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
20 |
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Missoula Phoenix |
0 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
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BITTERROOT:
Jamie Jones 32-yard blocked punt return for touchdown (kick failed) |
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MISSOULA:
Shane Jurasek 16-yard run (Spencer kick) |
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BITTERROOT:
Justin Nixon 3-yard run (Peterson kick) |
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BITTERROOT:
Grant Roman 3-yard pass from Blakey (Peterson kick) |
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BITTERROOT |
MISSOULA |
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First
Downs |
15 |
13 |
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Rushes-Yds |
33 |
155 |
17 |
61 |
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Passing |
5--9--1 |
14--31--4 |
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Passing
Yds. |
53 |
141 |
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Sacked-Yds |
1 |
6 |
5 |
34 |
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Net
Passing Yds. |
47 |
107 |
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Total
Yds. |
202 |
168 |
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Punts
- Avg. |
4-36.0 |
3-33.6 |
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Penalties
-Yds |
6 |
31 |
7 |
45 |
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Fumbles
- Lost |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
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Individual
Stats: |
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Rushing: |
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Player
-Team |
Tot.
Att. |
Tot.
Yds |
TD's |
2 pts. |
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Justin
Nixon - Bitterroot |
20 |
101 |
1 |
0 |
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Tyler
Jolley - Bitterroot |
5 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
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Patrick
Evers - Bitterroot |
5 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
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Buckie
Brawley - Bitterroot |
3 |
-5 |
0 |
0 |
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Shane
Jurasek - Missoula |
5 |
29 |
1 |
0 |
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Gavin
Johnson - Missoula |
8 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
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Duane
Mihlader - Missoula |
2 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
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Sheldon
McCool - Missoula |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
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Passing: |
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Player |
Comp. |
Att. |
Yds |
TD's |
Int. |
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Buckie
Brawley - Bitterroot |
3 |
7 |
50 |
0 |
1 |
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Matt
Blakey - Bitterroot |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
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Shane
Jurasek - Missoula |
14 |
31 |
141 |
0 |
4 |
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Receiving: |
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Player |
Recepts. |
Yards |
Td's |
2 pts. |
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Michael
Rasmussen - Bitterroot |
1 |
32 |
0 |
0 |
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Rich
Fillie - Bitterroot |
1 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
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Grant
Roman - Bitterroot |
1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
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Vinny
Zepeda Sain - Bitterroot |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
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Dave
Garza - Missoula |
6 |
70 |
0 |
0 |
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Shane
Byers - Missoula |
3 |
31 |
0 |
0 |
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Ja'Ton
Simpson - Missoula |
2 |
21 |
0 |
0 |
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Nick
Lumpkin - Missoula |
1 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
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Clint
Colwell - Missoula |
2 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
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Defense: |
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Player |
Tackles |
Sacks |
Intercepts |
TD's |
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Chris
Brown - Bitterroot |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Jamie
Jones - Bitterroot |
5.5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
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Kyle
Rausch - Bitterroot |
5.5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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Chris
Jones - Bitterroot |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Bryan
Hellyer - Bitterroot |
2.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Brian
Buckreus - Bitterroot |
2.5 |
2.5 |
0 |
0 |
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David
Gingerich - Bitterroot |
2.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Kurt
Rausch - Bitterroot |
2.5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
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Mike
Tryon - Bitterroot |
2.5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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Patrick
Evers - Bitterroot |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Paul
Tryon - Bitterroot |
1.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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TJ Ward -
Bitterroot |
1.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Blake
Hoge - Bitterroot |
1.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Vinnie
Zepeda-Sain - Bitterroot |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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