Though the outcome wasn’t quite as one-sided as last year’s season opener, Foley’s football team once again dominated International Falls on Friday at Sports Stadium.
The Broncos, who lost 49-0 last year at Foley, were able to avoid another shutout in the 2012 season opener for both teams.
Falls’ only scoring came with 19.2 seconds left in the first half when Gunnar Anderson connected along the Broncos’ sideline with running back Nick Janttie for a 51-yard touchdown pass.
Anderson then found end Luke Spilde open in the end zone for the two-point conversion, but it wasn’t enough as the Falls fell to Foley, 38-8, in the non-conference contest.
“(The Falcons are) a good, tough physical football team,” said Broncos head coach Jay Boyle. “They have a lot of older upperclassmen that are very strong football players.
“It came down a lot to when we were able to capitalize on a lot of mistakes that they were making, and we just had a lot of first-game issues that we’re going to get worked out down the road.”
Falls gave up four touchdowns in the first half before getting on the scoreboard.
The Falcons’ Tyler Beehler found the end zone twice in the first quarter. He returned a punt near midfield for a touchdown and then hauled in a 30-yard scoring reception from Sam Udermann to give Foley a 12-0 lead.
Foley pulled ahead by three touchdowns when Udermann found Mitch Keeler for a 17-yard scoring strike with 9:30 left before halftime. The score remained 18-0 when the Falcons missed their third-consecutive extra point.
Luke Kelvington capped off a Foley scoring drive on a 1-yard run into the end zone with 1:57 left in the half. Kyle Olson made the extra point to put the Falcons in front, 25-0.
The Broncos’ 51-yard scoring strike from Anderson to Janttie at the end of the first half was also the team’s longest gain from scrimmage.
Beehler scored his third touchdown of the game for Foley in the third quarter on a 21-yard scoring strike from Udermann.
The Falcons’ final touchdown came on a 9-yard run by Kelvington.
“The score wasn’t as close as I would have liked it to be, but we did a lot of things right,” said Boyle. “We saw the guys making the adjustments that we’ve gone over in practice. We saw a lot of guys coming up and hitting.
“I don’t think we did it for a full 48 minutes yet. It was the first game of the season. Every game we’re going to get better from there.”
Falls, now 0-1, returns to action Friday at Virginia, the Broncos’ first Sea-Range Conference opponent of the season.
Players out of action
Boyle and Falls Athletic Director Don Rolando declined comment Friday when asked about the future availability of Bronco players who weren’t suited up in full pads to play against Foley.
“We came out of this game healthy, and to the rest of it, no comment,” Boyle said.
However, one source has informed The Journal that at least two players watching from the sidelines were not eligible to play Friday because of violating the Minnesota State High School League athletic code.
The source told The Journal that sophomore end Ben Humbert was suspended for two games, and will be able to return for the Sept. 14 home game against Proctor, while senior running back Wes Gunnerson, who committed a second violation, has been suspended for six games.
Foley 12 13 13 0 — 38
I. Falls 0 8 0 0 — 8
Scoring: F: Tyler Beehler, 47-yard punt return (kick blocked); F: Beehler 30-yard pass from Sam Udermann (pass failed); F: Mitch Keeler, 17-yard pass from Udermann (kick blocked); F: Luke Kelvington, 1-yard run (Kyle Olson kick); IF: Nick Janttie, 51-yard pass from Gunnar Anderson (Luke Spilde pass from Anderson); F: Beehler, 21-yard pass from Udermann (Olson kick); F: Kelvington, 9-yard run (run failed).
