Red Devils romp in six-man season opener

When it rains it pours is a well-worn adage that implies when things start rolling, look out.

After working all week to get enough players eligible for a game, the Heart Butte Warriors found out Saturday afternoon that saying did not apply only to the thick, dark clouds passing over the football field in Noxon.

And while it did indeed pour briefly from those ominous clouds the Warriors had already experienced a deluge of scoring by the host Red Devils, who produced a 57-12 win over the visitors from the north in the six-man football season opener for both schools.

Noxon, under the guidance of first-year head coach Lucas MacArthur, got the scoreboard humming early when sophomore wide receiver Ricky Williams hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Shamus Wheeldon, giving the home team a 6-0 lead with 7:33 left to play in the opening quarter.

On a day when made point after touchdowns (PAT) were a rarity, The Red Devils added to their lead with another strike from above, this one good for 27 yards from Brian Risch, another of the team’s talented group of sophomores, to Williams, who sprinted into the end zone to give Noxon a 12-0 advantage with 4:50 to go in the opening quarter.

The Warriors struck back a short time later when they moved downfield quickly following the Noxon kickoff, capped by a 37-yard touchdown pass by Heart Butte. The rash of failed PATs left the score at 12-6 Noxon with just over a minute and a half to play in the first stanza.

That led to a long kickoff by the Warriors which was fielded by Wheeldon, who outran everyone down the sideline on his way to a 60-yard return for a touchdown. The score boosted the Red Devils’ lead to 18-6.

Shortly after starting out from their own 30 yard line, the Warriors turned the ball over to Noxon via an interception. The Red Devils then began a long march toward the Heart Butte end zone as the second quarter of play got underway.

However, that drive was thwarted when Noxon could not reach the end zone and turned the pigskin over on downs to the Warriors, who suited up just eight players for the game. Heart Butte’s ensuing drive came to an end a short time later when they fumbled and the ball ended up in Noxon’s possession.

Several plays later, fullback/linebacker Johnny Knerr plowed into the end zone from 10 yards out, giving the Red Devils a 24-6 lead with six minutes to play until halftime.

Heart Butte staged a long drive of its own following the kickoff and added six to their total thanks to an 11-yard scoring pass.

It would be the last time the Warriors scored as a driving rain descended on the field. With just over a minute to play until halftime, Noxon struck again when Wheeldon broke loose on a 17-yard scoring run to give the Red Devils a 30-12 lead with just seconds to play in the first half. The extra point attempt was good, the first PAT of the game, and as time ran out in the first half, Noxon held a 31-12 advantage.

Noxon wasted little time in the opening minutes of the third quarter, when Williams scored again, this time on a 12-yard run with 8:55 remaining in the quarter. That score upped the Red Devils’ lead to 45-12 and the rout was on. Heart Butte’s ensuing drive stalled. giving the ball back to Noxon on downs. On the next play from scrimmage, Knerr exploded through the line and outran the Warriors to the end zone, making it 51-12 Noxon. Knerr scored from 60 yards out.

The Red Devils defense held tight again, giving the ball back to the home team on downs. Noxon scored again before the game was over, sealing their season opener, 57-12.

Next up for the Red Devils is a road game this Saturday against Geyser.

Williams finished the game with three touchdowns, including two on passes and one via a 7-yard run. Wheeldon also accounted for three scores, one by passing, one on the long kickoff return and one on the ground.