Bryson Burns was involved in all four of his team’s offensive touchdowns on Friday night, as the Eureka Loggers won for the second time in three weeks.
The Loggers traveled to Hoopa and came away with a 33-14 win, improving to 3-6 on the season and dropping the Warriors to 1-8.
Burns, who is enjoying a good season for Eureka, was instrumental in the win with one of his best performances.
The junior QB threw a 20-yard TD pass to Nevan Rose early in the game and would add a second TD on a QB sneak early in the second.
Eureka’s third TD of the night came on a pick six by Scotty Brogan after a tipped pass, before Burns added a second TD pass to Rose later in the quarter.
The Loggers would add to their lead in the third quarter, when Burns connected with Quincy Smith on a 30-yard TD pass.
The impressive QB also had a two-point conversion pass to Orin Kelly.
Logan Jensen and Lynden Taerea each also had an interception in the win.
Torin Billings had two TD passes for the Warriors, one each to seniors Logan Halbutta and Josh Moon on Senior Night for the team.
The Warriors, to their credit, kept battling and turned in one of the best performances of the year.
“I was pretty happy with the boys and the way they’ve been fighting through games all year long,” Hoopa head coach Tashone Rice said. “It’s just a matter of putting it all together.”
A shorthanded Hoopa team had just 11 varsity players available for the game, forcing Rice to call up several younger players from the JV team, and most of them acquitted themselves well.
“They all contributed,” Rice said of the youngsters. “They were kind of thrown into the fire and they all played well.”
Halbutta was playing his first game of the season after just returning from injury and had an immediate impact, while the always-impressive Sal Peralta once again had a big night anchoring both lines.
Among the young players impressing for the home team, freshman Kaedyn Jensen had an interception and a nice kick return, while freshman Thomas Blake made his presence felt at defensive tackle.
Sophomore linebacker/running back Frank Masten also had a good night for the home team after being called up from the JVs, as did freshman offensive lineman/linebacker Brennen Clark, who “stepped up big time for us,” according to Rice.
Despite their struggles this season, the Warriors have made some strides and will be hoping to close out the year with a big performance at Ferndale next week.
“It’s been a tough season as far as wins and losses, but with adversity brings growth,” the Hoopa head coach said of his players who continue to battle every weekend. “And these young men have grown substantially.”
The Loggers will also be looking to close out their season strong when they make the short trip to play crosstown rival St. Bernard’s next Saturday.
