Loggers get loose, roll on

LIBBY - The East-meets-West showdown was as fierce as expected - and a lot more fun.

Jeremy Chumley rushed for six touchdowns Saturday afternoon, including five in the second half, and the Libby High School football team stormed past Sidney 47-26 for a Class A quarterfinal victory.

The Northwestern A No. 1 seed Loggers (9-1) trailed the Eastern A No. 3 seed Eagles 20-13 at halftime before rallying for a berth in next Saturday's semifinals, where they'll visit undefeated Eastern A champion Billings Central (10-0).

In a thrilling slugfest where most plays ended with thunderous collisions, the Loggers found their rhythm by seizing control of the line of scrimmage and grinding away at one of Class A's most imposing teams.

The Loggers came out slinging as quarterback Joel Fuller rolled to his right before lofting a 51-yard touchdown pass to Seth Wright, tying the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. Fuller completed 11 of 20 passes for 229 yards, but he rested his throwing arm for much of the second half while Chumley and Libby's offensive line took over.

Chumley rushed for 218 yards on 23 attempts despite carrying just four times in the first half. His most impressive run came late in the first quarter when he took a delayed handoff from Fuller and worked to the right edge before cutting back through Sidney's defense for a 61-yard touchdown, giving Libby its first lead at 13-7.

The Eagles (7-3) scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Allen Andersen to Jordan Abelseth and a 2-yard run by bruising fullback Beau Melby. But the Loggers had all the answers in the third quarter after making the right adjustments at the break.

"They outplayed us in the first half on both sides of the ball," Libby coach Neil Fuller said. "Offensively, we stopped ourselves, but at the same time they were doing some things that kind of got us in a funk, and we weren't executing like we were capable of. At halftime the kids decided to take it up a notch, and came out and got it done in the second half.

"The key series of the game was that first defensive series of the second half because we shut them down. They were three plays and out, and we hadn't done that with them the whole game."

Libby defensive tackle Matt Schad dropped Eagles tailback Trent Thomas for a 1-yard loss to open the third quarter. Andersen's second-down pass fell incomplete, and Chumley stopped Abelseth after a 1-yard reception on third-and-11, leading to Sidney's first punt of the game.

The teams combined for just five punts while totaling 884 yards of offense, including 525 for Libby. The Loggers committed no turnovers, but the Eagles lost a fumble and threw an interception, both leading to Libby touchdowns.

"We made some real key mistakes in that second half … and those things are just great momentum changers, and that's what happened to us," legendary Sidney coach Mike Gear said. "We didn't get the momentum coming out in the second half, and they did."

"We came out a little flat in the first half," said Schad, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound senior who made seven tackles. "The second half we just came out and worked as a team - came out and hit 'em hard."

Schad also started at offensive tackle, paving rushing lanes with fellow hogs Ryan Stapley, Brandin Mills, Justin Graham and Jordan Gragert.

"We just started pounding the ball, and then the (defensive) line came back, too, and just started hitting them hard," Schad said. "It was a team effort."

Thomas gained 140 yards on 23 carries, but Libby's resolve to secure the edges paid off in the second half when Sidney's lone touchdown came on Thomas' halfback pass to Abelseth in the fourth quarter.

Defensive tackle Josh Chumley led the Loggers with 12 tackles, including a 12-yard sack, while Fuller made an interception and seven stops.

"We didn't put together any drives to conserve some time and take some time off (the clock) - let our defense rest a little bit," Gear said. "But still, (Libby) made the plays, and we had two critical turnovers and just lost the momentum, and it's tough to get it back."

The Loggers tied the game at 20-all when Jeremy Chumley cruised through a gaping hole for a 6-yard touchdown on Libby's first possession of the third quarter. He plunged straight ahead for a 1-yard touchdown on Libby's next drive to put Libby ahead for good before reeling off three short scoring bursts as the Loggers pulled away.

Loren Nelson led the Loggers with three catches for 84 yards, including a spectacular 38-yard reception off a deflection, which set up Chumley's 2-yard touchdown plunge, making it 34-20 late in the third quarter.

"They're physical," Gear said of the Loggers. "I thought they ran the ball better than I really gave them credit for. I thought maybe we'd be able to shut that down and make them throw all the time, but they proved me wrong."

Gear, who has coached the Eagles for 32 years, said little surprises him anymore - even when a game with the makings of a tight battle turns into a track meet.

"You just have to tell your kids to be ready for anything because some days it's a 7-0 game and some days it's a real shootout," he said.

Andersen completed 15 of 23 passes for 136 yards. Abelseth led a balanced Sidney receiving corps with five catches for 63 yards and three touchdowns.

"Sidney has a great scheme," Fuller said. "Offensively, their quarterback throws a great ball. They're hard to defend because they spread you out. They run misdirection well. They've got some good, strong running backs, and they have good receivers. I was really impressed with them."

The Loggers proved nearly impossible to defend as Fuller rushed for 32 yards on a combination of scrambles and designed runs. Libby gained 296 yards on the ground, averaging 9 yards on 33 attempts.

Coach Fuller said Libby didn't plan to loosen up the Eagles through the air before attacking them on the ground - it just worked out that way.

"We felt like we were going to try to throw the ball on them, but the best games we play is when we have good balance," he said. "We didn't have great balance in the first half, but the second (half) we ran the ball a little more than I thought we'd end up doing it. It ended up being the right thing to do."

Sidney 7 13 0 6 - 26

Libby 13 0 21 13 - 47

First Quarter

Sid - Jordan Abelseth 10 pass from Allen Andersen (Matt Brenner kick), 5:15

Lib - Seth Wright 51 pass from Joel Fuller (Zack Rowan kick), 4:54

Lib - Jeremy Chumley 61 run (kick failed), 1:37

Second Quarter

Sid - Abelseth 13 pass from Andersen (Brenner kick), 9:10

Sid - Beau Melby 2 run (kick failed), 2:22

Third Quarter

Lib - Chumley 6 run (Rowan kick), 6:34

Lib - Chumley 1 run (Rowan kick), 1:44

Lib - Chumley 2 run (Rowan kick), :37

Fourth Quarter

Sid - Abelseth 32 pass from Trent Thomas (kick failed), 10:48

Lib - Chumley 1 run (Rowan kick), 3:12

Lib - Chumley 1 run (kick failed), :52

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Sid Lib

First downs 16 14

Rushes-yards 40-191 33-296

Passing yards 168 229

Return yards 81 60

Comp-Att-Int 16-24-1 11-20-0

Punts 3 2

Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0

Penalties 6 6

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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Sidney, Thomas 23-140, Melby 13-57, Andersen 4-(-6). Libby, Jeremy Chumley 23-218, Fuller 6-32, TJ Benson 1-29, Josh Chumley 3-17.

PASSING - Sidney, Andersen 15-23-1-136, Thomas 1-1-0-32. Libby, Fuller 11-20-0-229.

RECEIVING - Sidney, Abelseth 5-63, Thomas 4-23, Devin Bell 3-45, Melby 3-37, Chris Lee 1-0. Libby, Loren Nelson 3-84, Rowan 3-27, Colton Cannon 2-35, Jeremy Chumley 2-32, Wright 1-51.