Huskies fall to Rattlers in week one match-up, 18-70

The game against Little Snake River on Saturday was not what the Huskies were expecting.

“It was a bit of a wake up call for us,” said Coach Trent Aagard. “Little Snake came out with a lot of energy and intensity and that really popped us in the mouth. Looking back, I could have done a better job of preparing us for that — we haven’t played there for a few years and that is a really difficult place to visit. 

“Good or bad, I got a lot of week one feels from this one. On one hand, there are some very fixable things for us to work on, but I think we thought we were a little further along than we actually are.” 

All 18 points from Burlington came in the first quarter, with two touchdowns from Jesus Perez and one touchdown from Joe Bassett. 

“At times I thought we were able to move the ball pretty well against a good defense, but miscues and turnovers were a problem,” Aagard explained. “I thought Joe Bassett, Jordan Broederlow and Jordan Casey showed some good running. Kyler Winters showed some good defensive things and blocking, and Jesus had his two touchdowns and did a good job of getting open in the end zone.

“After a tough game, it is easy to be really critical of the whole thing, while I understand it is important to learn and grow from our mistakes, I also understand that you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater,” he continued. 

“This week, we definitely have things we need to figure out, but I’m proud of our guys for not giving up. The score wasn’t pretty, but they kept fighting and showing heart [and] that is something we can work with. The season isn’t decided [in] week one, but we have to really embrace a growth and team mindset. If we can do that, we will be okay.” 

The JV team also got in two quarters and lost with a score of 0-13. “I thought our guys really went out and competed,” said Aagard of their efforts. “It is always exciting to see these young guys play, learn and develop. I thought they did some good things. They are still learning and they really have to learn on the fly, but I was encouraged by them.” 

Burlington 18, Little Snake River 70 

RUSHING – Burlington 30-175 (Jordan Broederlow, 9-90; Joe Bassett, 19-77). 

PASSING – Burlington 9-of-24 for 73 yards (Broederlow, 3-of-8 for 23 yards; Bassett, 4-of-12 for 22 yards). 

RECEIVING – Jesus Perez, 2 catches for 26 yards and 2 touchdowns; Broederlow, 3 catches for 25 yards. 

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS – Weston Gotfredson led the way with 16 points (2 assisted tackles and 2 blocked kicks), followed by Kyler Winters with 14 points (1 assisted tackle, 5 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass breakup), Broederlow with 12 points (5 solo tackles and 1 pass breakup), and Bassett with 12 points (4 assisted tackles and 4 solo tackles).

The Huskies will have their home opener on Friday against Kaycee. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.