ELMA — With its potential for explosive offensive output on full display, Elma picked up its first win of the football season with a 50-36 non-league victory over Rochester on Friday at Davis Field.
After falling behind 16-6 in the first quarter, the Eagles owned the second frame.
Elma senior Brandon Butcher scored three times in the final four minutes of the second quarter – receptions of eight and 57 yards from Avery Brown and a 60-yard rush – to give the Eagles a 28-16 lead at halftime.
“In the first half we got down, but our quarterback and other skill guys made huge plays,” Elma head coach Ron Clark said. “Our quarterback (Brown) played his best game of the year so far. He threw the ball extremely well. Ira Hartford was outstanding tonight and (Brandon) Butcher, they just made the kind of plays we need our skill guys to make out there.”
Brown finished with 189 yards on 8-for-10 passing. Butcher finished with 160 yards from scrimmage on just five touches.
Hartford rushed 20 times for 218 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring runs of 45 and 64 yards in the fourth quarter which helped keep the Eagles ahead while the Warriors’ offense found some success. The senior also caught two passes for 39 yards.
Despite the obvious success of the offense, Clark also noted an improvement on defense for the Eagles.
“We tackled and pursued the ball better than we have all year long,” Clark said. “We have things to work on, obviously, but on all fronts, it was two steps forward.”
Rochester managed to cut Elma’s lead to six points late in the fourth quarter.
Warriors quarterback Bryce Lollar rushed for a 6-yard score, then completed a pass to Ben Slaymaker for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Eagle lead to 36-30 with 3:47 left in the game.
Hartford responded with 64-yard touchdown run less than one minute later to push the lead back to two scores.
The only Eagle not named Hartford or Butcher to score a touchdown was Taitum Brumfield. The sophomore scampered into the end zone from 13 yards out with 2:09 left in the game to put Elma up 50-30.
Elma will open its Evergreen 1A League schedule on Friday with a home contest against Hoquiam.
