Errors cost Braves
Flathead falls to 0-3 with 20-17 loss to Big Sky
The Daily Inter Lake
MISSOULA - Mistakes.
Mistakes of all varieties cost the Flathead Brave football team on Saturday night.
The Braves fell 20-17 to host Missoula Big Sky (2-1).
"We had some chances. We just had some key mistakes," said Flathead coach Russell McCarvel.
"Too many penalties and mistakes."
Offensively, the numbers looked decent - 185 yards rushing and 196 passing.
"We moved the ball OK - at times. We moved it well at times. But we had too many critical mistakes that kind of stopped us from putting it in the end zone," McCarvel said.
Flathead had chances early - it was inside Big Sky's 10-yard line in the first quarter, but settled for a 33-yard Mike Windham field goal.
Big Sky scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, and Flathead got a 5-yard scoring run from Brock Osweiler.
That put the score at 13-10 Big Sky at the half.
Defensively, McCarvel liked a lot of what he saw.
"The defense played good enough to win," he said.
The coach admitted he was disappointed in the 65-yard touchdown the Braves gave up to start the second half. That play put the Eagles on top, 20-10.
"But other than that, they played pretty good," he said.
Flathead managed to close to 20-17 with 3:26 left in the game, but "we just didn't make enough plays after that offensively," the coach said.
The Braves did have a good night running the football - 32 carries for 185 yards as a team.
Osweiler led with 15 carries for 103 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. Running back Bryce Stacy ran 17 times for 82 yards.
"Bryce Stacy played a good game," McCarvel said. "Both running and catching the ball, he did well."
In addition to the 82 yards rushing, Stacy caught seven passes for 96 yards.
"That's a pretty good day," the coach said.
Osweiler was 15-for-24 for 196 yards with three interceptions.
The Braves (0-3) return home to Legends Stadium for homecoming next weekend against Butte (0-3).
Flathead 3 7 7 0 - 17
Big Sky 0 13 7 0 - 20
First quarter
F - Michael Windham 33 FG 3:56
Second quarter
BS - Trevor Kamura 1 run (Drew Owens kick) 7:32
F - Brock Osweiler 5 run (Windham kick) 6:01
BS - Mike LaValley 36 pass Joe Petritz (kick blocked) 3:12
Third quarter
BS - Jordan Tripp 65 run (Owens kick) 11:48
F - Osweiler 17 run (Windham kick) 3:26
Individual leaders
RUSHING - Flathead (32-185): Brock Osweiler 15-103, Bryce Stacy 17-82. Big Sky (33-147): Jordan Tripp 7-96, Joe Petritz 7-1, Trevor Kamura 18-48, Glen Maricelli 1-2.
PASSING - Flathead: Osweiler 15-24-3-196. Big Sky: Petritz 10-16-1-144.
RECEIVING - Flathead: Stacy 7-96, Travis Andrus 2-14, Cody Bouley 2-23, Nolan Grosswiler 2-37, Bryant Eickert 2-26. Big Sky: Drew Owens 5-49, Mike LaValley 3-65, Kevin McHugh 2-30.