After quick start, Loyal can’t keep pace with Falcons
On Loyal’s first possession of the 2022 football season, the offense took charge and drove 60 yards in five plays for a touchdown. Not much went well for the Greyhounds after that in a 33-8 loss to Abbotsford that was shortened by lightning.
Junior Louie Nikolai had five carries on that first scoring drive, including the final one that covered 39 yards for the score. Nikolai also scored the 2-point conversion on a pitch play to the right, leaving Loyal with an 8-0 lead just 2:49 into the season.
It didn’t last long. Relying on a mix of inside rushing plays by quarterback Jose Castillo and running backs Christian Fuentes Rivera and Daniel Davila, the Falcons pieced together a long, 17-play drive that consumed most of the rest of the first quarter and finished with a 7-yard Fuentes Rivera run. The extra-point kick made it an 8-7 game with 1:41 left in the opening frame.
Loyal’s next drive started well, but ended quickly. After a 12-yard Nikolai run on the first play, the next three runs were stopped and the Greyhounds punted with 11:52 to go in the half.
Abbotsford struck quickly this time, with Castillo bouncing outside on a third-and-6 play to pick up 60 yards. Fuentes Rivera then broke into the end zone for a 5-yard run. The extra point kick was blocked, but Abby had a 13-8 lead.
Loyal’s next drive also ended in a punt. The Greyhounds picked up one first down, but an incomplete Eli Zettler pass and two runs could not produce another.
Abbotsford took over at its own 14-yard line after the kick, and put together another long drive for a score. This drive lasted 15 plays. The Falcons apparently scored on a 24-yard run with 2:13 left in the half, but that play was called back on a holding penalty. Four plays later, Castillo squirted through the Hound interior defense for a score and a 19-8 lead.
On its first possession of the second half, Abbotsford marched 60 yards on six plays, with Fuentes Rivera scoring on a pass play from the Loyal 15-yard line.
Loyal pushed into the red zone on its next offensive try. Sully Hansen broke a 25-yard run to the Falcon 20 and a Nikolai run on first down got it to the 16. Loyal then fumbled the ball on both the third-and fourth-down plays and the drive ended.
Abby finished the scoring with an 89-yard, 12-play drive that ended with a Castillo 9-yard run with 10:48 left in the game.
Loyal got two plays in on its last drive before the referees had to stop the game due to lightning at the 9:36 mark.
Loyal’s offense managed 157 yards on the night, with 129 of it coming on the ground on 20 attempts. Zettler passed seven times with four completions for 28 yards.
The Abby offense had a 374-yard night. The Falcons ran 48 times for 282 yards and picked up another 92 yards with five completions on six attempts.
Loyal will travel to Neillsville on Aug. 25 for its second game of the season.
DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTOS
