Grizzlies maul McCall

By LARRY HURRLE - Argues OBSERVER
Sunday, September 30, 2007 12:43 AM PDT

Fruitland’s Kole Olinger (4) puts on the brakes after losing the handle on a hand off on Fruitlan’'s second play from scrimmage in Friday night's Snake River Valley Conference game with McCall-Donnelly. Olinger recovered the fumble, but it was one of four Fruitland fumbles on the night, of which the Grizzlies lost two. Fruitland dominated, however, defeating McCall 52-0.

FRUITLAND - Fruitland’s quick-strike, potent offense has just one thing overshadowing it — Fruitland’s defense.

The Grizzly defense again showed it tenacity Friday night in Snake River Valley Conference football action, holding McCall-Donnelly to just 87 total yards of offense en route to a 52-0 blanking of the Vandals.

“Our defense was just great again,” Fruitland head coach Bruce Schlaich said following the game. “The kids know defense wins championships. The offense is just entertainment.”

Coming off what many were considering the biggest SRV game of the season last week at Weiser (a 28-7 Fruitland win), Fruitland came out flat against the Vandals.

For the second time in as many weeks, the Grizzlies failed to score on their first possession.

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Schlaich, however, said Fruitland’s slow start was likely a combination of McCall’s defense and the cold weather that swept through the Treasure Valley Friday night.

“It turned cold in a hurry,” Schlaich said. “We were expecting low 50s or high 40s — I think it was colder than that. Last week we were playing in the 80s.”

In fact, by end of the game, the temperature at Fruitland’s field had dropped to the low 40s.

Schlaich also said McCall caught Fruitland a little flat-footed with it defense.

“They came out in a defense we weren’t expecting,” he said. “We had to change our play-calling.”

It wasn’t long, though, before Fruitland found a way to get untracked. After stalling on its opening drive, and holding McCall to just 23 yards on the Vandals’ first series, Fruitland’s Micah McMurry fielded a punt at the Grizzly 22 yard line and dashed 78 yards down the left sideline for the opening score of the game with 6:09 remaining in the first quarter.

Fruitland kicker Bridgette Teunissen is currently sidelined with an injury sustained in a soccer contest, and the run attempt on the PAT failed.

McCall’s next possession was three-and-out, and Fruitland’s offense was primed and ready to go.

Following a 15-yard facemask penalty against McCall, Fruitland started its possession on the Vandal 23-yard-line. Four plays later, junior Caleb Crim bulldozed his way in from 2-yards out with 2:49 left in the first quarter. Zach Fabricius’ run on the extra point try made it 14-0 Fruitland.

The McMurry and Crim show was just getting started, though.

Fruitland took its first possession of the second quarter with just 14 ticks off the clock.

Fruitland put together a 12-play drive, and a quick pass over the middle from quarterback Kaleo Nawahine to McMurry racked up a 25-yard scoring strike with 6:50 left in the half.

Nawahine found Nate Bake alone in the end zone for the PAT and a 22-0 Fruitland lead.

McCall managed a first down on its ensuing possession, but could do no more after a penalty forced a punt, which went into the end zone for a touchback.

Enter Crim.

Fruitland’s line opened a big hole in the center of the McCall defense and Crim dashed 80 yards almost untouched, outrunning the entire Vandal secondary for a touchdown with 4:18 remaining in the half.

Fabricius added the point after run for a 30-0 Fruitland cushion.

Following another three-and-out by McCall, Fruitland chalked up three sizable ground gains to set up second-and-one on the McCall 26.

Enter McMurry.

Nawahine spotted McMurry over the middle for another quick pass and McCall seemed to have the tight end stopped as Fruitland coaches were urging the senior to get out of bounds. Suddenly, McMurry broke free, breaking three tackles and scampering into the end zone with just 50 second left in the half.

“Never mind,” one Fruitland coach quipped as McMurry broke free and ran into the end zone.

Kole Olinger snared a Nawahine pass for the point after and 38-0 lead going into halftime.

Two more big plays were in the wings for Fruitland in the third quarter.

Aaron Smith got things started with a 30-yard run to pay dirt with 8:51 left in the quarter and Crim added the point after for a 46-0 lead.

Tommy Macfarlane then broke free from the Fruitland 39-yard line, and used a downfield block by tight end Ron Hurrle to outrun the secondary for a 61-yard score.

The run attempt failed, but Fruitland had amassed its final 52-0 tally with just 2:25 left in the third.

Offensively, Fruitland ran up 443 total yards, led by Crim who had 106 yards on five carries. Aaron Smith followed with 85 yards on six carries, while Macfarlane had 78 yards on 10 carries.

Nawahine finished the night completing three of four passes for 60 yards and no interceptions.

Fruitland did, however, have four fumbles on the night, including two which were recovered by McCall.

“That’s something we kind of pride ourselves on, is not fumbling the ball, and we lost two tonight,” Schlaich said. Fruitland, now 5-0 on the year, returns to action Friday night when its hosts Baker in a non-league showdown starting at 7 p.m.