Patriots dominate Wolves in season opener scrimmage

It was a beautiful night for football as the Upton-Sundance Patriots kicked off their 2023 season in Upton against the Moorcroft Wolves. Because the Wolves opted down into the nine-man class, this matchup was played as a hybrid game in which the Moorcroft Wolves played nine-man on offense, and 11-man on defense, while the Patriots played 11-man offense and nine-man on defense.

Both teams had to brush off the dust on their opening plays for the night. Moorcroft received the opening kickoff but a fumble on the second play sent them back 12 yards.

The Wolves were unable to regain the lost yardage and punted the ball away. The Patriots didn't start out much better. Their offensive drive began with multiple snap infractions and a turnover on downs. 

With dust off, the Moorcroft offense gained some yardage on their second drive. Pushing their way down the field, the Wolves were able to complete passes and find the holes in the defensive line, making their way into the endzone on a pass from Cole Cantu to Cade Williams, putting the Moorcroft Wolves on the scoreboard first, 6-0.

The second offensive drive for the US Patriots had another rocky start with a personal foul pushing the team back to the 48-yard line of the Wolves. However, a nice swing-pass from Patriot quarterback Keaton Mills to Eli Gill moved the offense up 25 yards and put the wheels in motion for Mills to connect with Rhett Watt, who found his way into the endzone, tying the game at six.

Mills added to the score with a successful extra point attempt and with 3:30 left in the first quarter of play, and the Patriots took a 7-6 lead.

The Moorcroft offense was back on the field but struggling once again. Any yards gained were wiped out quickly as the Patriot defense forced an interception, returning the ball to the 37-yard line.

The first quarter drew to a close with the Patriots closing in, once again, on the endzone. The second quarter began with a quarterback keeper, sending Mills into the endzone and onto the scoreboard, increasing the Patriot lead, 14-6.

As the Patriot defense began to settle down throughout the second quarter of play, they were able to keep the Wolves from moving downfield. Plagued with penalties and incomplete passes, Moorcroft could not gain the yardage needed to get into the endzone.

The Patriots, on the other hand, seemed to find their offensive groove. Switching almost exclusively to the air, the Patriots took a commanding lead going into the halftime break with Gill and Watt each crossing into the endzone before halftime, putting the US Patriots up 28-6. 

The Patriots kept rolling throughout the second half of play. Returning the opening kickoff to the 41-yard line, the Patriots were sitting with good field position.

Mills then connected with Jake Schommer for a 14-yard play and an opening first down for the US Patriots. A few incomplete passes followed the initial down as the Wolves defense stepped up, forcing an interception on the Patriots fourth down.

As the Moorcroft offense then took to the field, they found themselves starting at the four-yard line. Staring down the length of the field, the Wolves struggled to make much headway as the Patriot defense stepped up once again, stopping any Moorcroft momentum. 

Shortly thereafter, the Patriot offense was on the field once again and quarterback Keaton Mills connected with cousin Chase Mills, sending him into the endzone and putting the Patriots on the scoreboard one more time. 

There was no rest for the weary, as the final minutes of the third quarter began ticking down, the Patriot defense once again came up with a big stop; blocking a Moorcroft punt attempt. Chase Mills recovered the ball and made his way to the 15-yard line, putting the Patriots in scoring position one more time.

On the next play Mills found Schommer on the outroute for another Patriot touchdown putting the Patriots up 41-6. As the third quarter drew to a close, both teams began to put their younger players on the field to gain experience and finish out the game. 

The Patriots will be on the road this week as they travel to face the Cokeville Panthers, in Shoshoni, at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Stats

Offense – Rushing: 

T. Schneider 6/27

E. Gill 5/14

K. Mills 9/2

T. Huckins ¾

K. Duarte 2/1

J. Keller 3/-3

Offense – Passing:

K. Mills 13/19/214 4TD 1INT

T. Huckins 2/3/21

Offense – Receiving:

R. Watt 5/82 2TD

C. Mills 3/59 1TD

E. Gill 3/44 

J. Schommer 2/29 1TD

T. Marchant 1/11

J. Keller 1/10

Defensive Top 5:

E. Gill 15: 5 Unassisted Tackles, 5 Assisted Tackles

C. Mills 12.5: 2 Unassisted Tackles, 1 Assisted Tackles, 2.5 Tackles for Loss, 1 Fumble Recovery

K. Mills 12: 1 Unassisted Tackles, 5 Assisted Tackles, 1 Interception

T. Schneider 11.5: 2 Unassisted Tackles, 1 Assisted Tackles, 1.5 Tackles for Loss, 1 Fumble Recovery

J. Keller 11: 3 Unassisted Tackles, 5 Assisted Tackles