The fighting Lopez Lobos football team displayed tenacity and endurance on their home turf against Highland Christian, starting off the high school fall football season in a blaze of passion.

Though the Lobos lost their first game of the season 14 – 0, Coach Larry Berg reported that the 10-strong team, down several players due to graduation, played both offensive and defensive positions in the eight-man game for all four quarters. Coach Berg reported that all of the young men, though out-manned on the field, played with heart and desire, and he said of his players that they learned there was more strength in them than they realized.

The Lobos played against Highland Christian last year and both times lost handily, so Berg felt that the Lobos played very strongly their first time out on the fiield. Penalties damaged the Lobos more than anything else. Berg said. Nevertheless, the statistics for the game show that Colton Jardine, a junior and quarterback for the Lobos, had 15 carries for 134 yards, followed by Tommy Kramer, freshman, running back, who had 7 carries for 38 yards. Tucker Hoffman, junior, had 2 carries for 25 yards, and overall the Lobos totaled 24 carries for 197 yards rushing. In passing, the Lobos were 17 for 33, for a total of 123 yards passing. Also with strong numbers were Kevin Dengler, senior, who had 7 receptions for 59 yards, Shaun Samuel, senior, obtaining 4 receptions for 34 yards, Kramer, with 3 receptions for 17 yards, and Hoffman, with 4 receptions for 13 yards.

The Lobos’ defense also played very well. Leland Knopson, junior, sacked the opposing quarterback for Highland Christian, Kurt Zenacker, three times and Samuel also had two quarterback sacks. Kramer led the team with 9 solo tackles, while Dengler had 7 solo tackles and 1 interception, and Jardine had 1 fumble recovery, 5 solo tackles and 1 interception, as well as playing the position of quarterback for the Lobos.

The Lopez Lobos play again in Mansfield, Wash., east of the Cascades, at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19.