Falcons renew rivalry with Greyhounds
The Abbotsford Falcons and Loyal Greyhounds have certainly had their battles underneath the glare of Friday Night lights. Over the years, the two proud programs have played their share of memorable matches as rivals in the Cloverwood Conference.
Both are in different conferences now, but the intensity remains between the two adversaries, and their rivalry was renewed in 2021’s season opener.
“Our guys were ready---you could feel the excitement but also the intent and focus,” Falcons head coach Jake Knapmiller said about last week’s game.
The Falcons had done their homework, had put in the time in the offseason, and after going 3-3 last year, Abbotsford was more than ready to take the field.
“The players took pride in preparing themselves in the off-season to NOT be in the same spot as we were last year,” Knapmiller said.
That was apparent from the opening kick-off. The Falcons wasted little time in dictating the outcome on Friday.
Ty Falteisek got the party started, busting off a 50-yard scoring run. Fernando Perez’s extra point was good, and Abby was up 7-0. It was only the start for a punishing Falcons ground game that gobbled up 576 yards of total offense.
Sophomore Evan Reis got on board when he broke through Loyal’s defensive line, sprinting away for a 65-yard scoring run. Another big play came courtesy of sophomore JV Castillo, who also busted off a 65-yard scoring scamper.
“I thought overall our young guys played well. For Evan Reis it’s all about trust and confidence . . . so the more he has success when he does it correctly, the better he will get. He has a huge upside.
“JV was a rock for our offense. His best trait is not getting rattled and keeping it together. Evan Schunk is our energy guy, along with Brandon Diedrich on defense.
By the time the first quarter was over, the Falcons held a 20-0 lead.
“Our line was impressive,” Knapmiller said. “We were way bigger than Loyal, which might be the case lots of weeks, but I was happy with our quickness and movement.”
The Greyhounds could have easily folded, but they fought back, taking advantage of a fumble and short field. They scored on a quick route in the flat that made it 6-0 with 9:27 to play in the second.
“Give Loyal’s kids a ton of credit,” Knapmiller said, praising the Greyhounds. “With how young they were, they never backed down. Stayed in the game and played hard to the end.”
The Greyhounds scored one more time in the half, but their joy was shortlived. With just a minute to go before the break, the Falcons ripped off several big runs to take them down to the one-yard line.
With one second left, Castillo took the ball and knifed through the Loyal defense for his second touchdown.
“Our halftime drive was huge, but I think the players took getting scored on to heart and were ready to prove a point,” Knapmiller said. “I loved seeing our line come out with an attitude and get after it on the goalline to get us in.”
By the time the second half began, it was already 33-12. Falteisek continued to rack up yards, picking up his third touchdown off a 45-yard carry. Ty finished with 222 rushing yards on just 18 carries.
Evan Schunk scored the Falcons final TD, a 13-yard pick-up in the third that resulted in a running clock for the duration of the game as Abby won it 47-12.
The only blemish on the night was several turnovers, but Knapmiller expects that problem to take care of itself.
“Overall we were pleased. The fumbles are learning points. Our defense played hard, just not responsible at times, which led to some blown coverages and gaps.”
Castillo recorded his best offensive game, finishing with 147-yards and two TDs on 15 carries. Reis had 92-yards on five carries. Schunk, Jake Hirsch, Fernando Perez and Emilio Escalara all picked up over twenty yards apiece.
On defense, the Falcons racked up 53 tackles. Brandon Diedrich had a team high eight tackles, and Schunk finished with two sacks, while Falteisek hauled in an interception. Conrad Flink, Brandon Hawkey and Alex Sundermeyer finished with six tackles apiece.
The Falcons will now turn their attention to Melrose-Mindora this week when they take on the Mustangs on the road.
