Cowboys drop first game of the season to Enterprise Wolves
The battle of the 1A South region unbeatens squared off as the 5-0 Cowboys traveled to Enterprise to take on the 5-0 Wolves last Friday night.
The Wolves took the opening drive for the first score of the game, but it didn’t take long to answer after a gutsy fourth down conversion led to a Parker Franklin touchdown up the middle to make the score 7-7 in the first quarter. The score remained tied until a third quarter interception by the Cowboys led to a Wolves touchdown, turning it into a 14-7 ballgame. The second half was full of turnovers by both teams as the Cowboys recovered a Wolves fumble, only to give it back them with another interception a few plays later.
While still trailing in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys elected to go for it on fourth down a few yards, but were unable to convert, giving the ball back the Wolves in their own territory. They capitalized on the turnover, adding to their lead 22-7.
The Cowboys were on a mission and answered right back, marching down the field with Griffen Bone escaping multiple tackles on a roll out run and found the endzone making it 22- 14 with 3:24 left. That’s where time ran out on the Cowboys after not being able to recover the onside kick. The Cowboys move to 5-1 on the season and will face the Layton Christian Academy at home on Friday, September 23.
The Cowboys face a tough battle with LCA Eagles trying to revenge the state playoff semifinal loss from last year. The Eagles return leading rusher, Jessiai Giatras-Moala, who is averaging 140 rushing yards per game. Keeping him in check will be key for the Cowboys to secure victory.
Coach Quarnberg commented on the game, “Enterprise played tough. They were hard to bring to the ground as they fell forward all night. We turned the ball over at critical times and couldn’t overcome those mistakes. We had five starters on the sideline with injury, two of those won’t return this season.
“So, we are working through that as a team, but it will provide some opportunities for guys to step up and they will. Enterprise was the start of three tough games in a row on our schedule against the top teams in 1A. We are going to grind through it and do everything we can to get better.”
