Badgers continue winning streak in districts
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Preston Mcleish battling for the ball in the snow.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The snow started falling during the Badgers’ game against Timberlake High School on Oct. 8. It didn’t slow down Bonners Ferry, which won 2-0.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The Badger boys played hard to win the game against Timberlake with a final score of 3-0.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The snow did not deter the Badgers.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Ben Tompkins and Preston Mcleish during the Oct. 8 homegame against Timberlake.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Freshman Ben Tompkins.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN The Oct. 8 game against Timberlake was also Senior Night for the team.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Ben Tadlock, Noah Walker, and Ben Tompkins.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN Daniel Walker.
Photo by TESHRA ROBLES Keahi Robles in the snow at the Oct. 8 game.
Photo by TESHRA ROBLES Carson Spencer, Keahi Robles, and Stephen Carlson.
Photo by TESHRA ROBLES Senior night for the Badger boys was snowy.
The Badger boys had their last home game, Senior Night, on Oct. 8, then played at Coeur d’Alene Charter on Oct. 11, before moving on to the 3A district playoff tournament at The Fields at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls on Oct. 14.
For Senior Night, they faced off against Timberlake High School in the snow, but they didn’t let that slow them down.
“It was a great game to honor our seven seniors, Ben Tadlock, Michael Youngwirth, Thomas Rivkin, Carson Spencer, Preston Mcleish, Cody Kerstiens, and Ben Tompkins,” said Badgers coach Brycen Lunger.
“In the first 20 minutes you kind of knew what kind of game it was going to be,” said Lunger. “Just a hard fought, two teams that don’t like each other, battle. Plus you add in senior night and the snow and you could say the boys showed up to play.”
Lunger said that Stephen Carlson scored the first goal on a beautiful ball from Dalin Foster on a free kick from 65 yards out. They went to half with a score of 1-0.
“The boys didn’t look back, coming out just three minutes into the second half and Carson Spencer scored to make it 2-0,” said Lunger.
Lunger credits the defense and goalkeeper Josh Beazer for a game well played.
“Josh didn’t have much action but he stepped up with a huge save on Timberlake with five minutes to go to preserve the shutout,” said Lunger.
The Oct. 11 game against Coeur d’Alene Charter saw the Badgers victorious again with a final score of 3-0. Ben Tadlock opened the scoring to take the lead 1-0, which was the score at halftime, then Stephen Carlson scored the second goal of the game to extend the lead. Carson Spencer scored the third goal to make it 3-0.
“Josh Beazer had an amazing one-on-one save to keep the game a shutout,” said Lunger.
On Oct. 14, the Badgers played in their first district game this year, dominating the game and taking the win with a final score of 5-0.
“We went to halftime 1-0 with a beautiful goal from Daniel Walker on a breakaway,” said Lunger. “We have been waiting for that kind of finishing from him all year. Daniel used his speed to break away and then calmly collect the ball and tucked it right into the side netting for the only score of the first half.”
According to Lunger, the team came out of the second half looking like a completely different team. The captains, Ben Tompkins and Dalin Foster, got the team going after a slow first half. About 10 minutes in, Stephen Carlson scored a goal, followed by Ben Tadlock, who scored as the keeper came out for a ball. Tadlock beat the keeper to it and tucked it in for the 3-0 lead.
“About five minutes later Daniel Walker scored his second of the game, and then just minutes later, on a corner kick, Thomas Rivkin scored his first goal of the year to make it 5-0,” said Lunger.
The coach noted that Bonners Ferry’s defense was so strong that Beazer never needed to make a save and only touched the ball twice against Orofino.
“We play St. Maries on Friday, it should be a great game!” said Lunger. “Having lost and tied early in the year to St. Maries, the boys are hungry to get a win against them this year.”
The Badgers (14-2-1) and Lumberjacks (7-5-3) meet at 6 p.m. Friday in Post Falls, with the winner earning a berth in the 3A state soccer tournament. The first district semifinal, at 4 p.m. Friday, features top-seeded Timberlake (13-2-1) against host Coeur d’Alene Charter (9-5-2).
The two semifinal winners meet for the district title at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Real Life Ministries fields.