Noxon romps over Twin Bridges, 38-6

There’s something brewing in Noxon and it could be terrifying to a lot of six-player high school football teams in Montana.

Every football coach out there hopes for the right blend of players, experience and talent as they head into a new season.

And the Noxon Red Devils may be on the verge of just such a powerful winning formula.

Just two games into the season, and notably they have been games against struggling opponents, and Noxon is planting the seeds of a potentially amazing season.

Their second win of the year, a convincing 38-6 home win Friday evening over Twin Bridges, coupled with a rout of newcomer to six man football, Alberton, a 57-2 victim two weeks ago on the Panthers home turf, may offer a hint of good things to come.

For one thing, the combination of speed, experience and talent has already produced a lopsided 95-8 point for and points surrendered stat that is eye-catching.

And granted the offensive and defensive displays have come against Alberton, playing their first season of varsity football on their own in many years, and Twin Bridges, a team that has not had a winning season in the last several years, but the size of the margin of victory is worthy of note.

Friday night in their home opener, the Red Devils jumped all over the visiting Falcons, outscoring them 16-6 in the first quarter to set the tone for the rest of the game. And that was after they spotted the Falcons a six-point lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass in the early going of the initial quarter. The point after touchdown (PAT) try failed leaving Twin Bridges with a 6-0 lead.

Noxon answered that score when senior running back Antonio Lodi rambled into the end zone from nine yards out to tie the score at six. That’s when the Red Devils rare six-player football weapon, an accurate kicker, junior Brian Risch, booted the PAT, which in six player ball is good for two poitns.

That kick put the Red Devils ahead 8-6.

Before the first quarter ended, the combination of speed and talent came into play when 6-1, 175 pound multi-sport standout sophomore Ricky Williams hauled in a 64 yard scoring pass from Risch, who kicked another two-pointer to put Noxon up 16-6.

Lodie scored his second touchdown of the game, an 18-yard jaunt that boosted the Red Devils’ lead to 22-6 in the second quarter. Risch was good again on the points after kick and Noxon was in front 24-6.

Before the first half ended, sophomore running back Justice Kayser punched over from the two yard line to up the home team’s lead to 30-6. This time the PAT attempt was no good.

Ian Brown, a junior offensive lineman and defensive back, scored from eight yards out in the third quarter to put a “W” stamp on the game as Noxon went up 36-6. Risch’s kick was good and the score stood at 38-6 at the end of three quarters of play.

Neither team scored in the final quarter, as reserves and young players entered the fray.

The game may have been conjured up by a comment Noxon head coach Lucas MacArther made prior to the opening game when he said “I really like all the players we have coming back this year (they lost just two seniors via graduation)”, and, “we want to work on all aspects of the game”.

Both have come to fruition in the early going. The win gave Noxon a 2-0 record, while Twin Bridges fell to 0-1 on the new season.

Next up for the Red Devils is a road game this coming Saturday in Lima, slated for a 1 p.m. start.