The Bonners Ferry varsity football team ended their season-long losing streak last Friday, Oct. 14, at Teeters field in Kellogg. The Badgers came up big in the conference game, beating the Wildcats 34-6 and bringing their overall conference record to 1-2.

According to head coach Cory Kramer, the Badgers’ confidence was shaken after Timberlake’s heart-breaking fourth quarter comeback last week, but the team tried to put that loss behind them as their bus headed toward Kellogg through the driving rain.

Fortunately the all-day rain eased up before kickoff, but by that point the field was already in bad shape. A puddle of standing water stretching from goalpost to goalpost made cutting nearly impossible, forcing the players to play straightforward, hardnosed football. This made for a slow first half, and it wasn’t until the field started to dry out in the second half that the action picked up.

“Once we got stuff rolling in the second half, we pretty much controlled the game after that.” says Coach Kramer, who was extremely proud of the way his team owned the field on Friday night.

Kramer called the victory “a big confidence boost all the way around.”

Tailback Nick Saban had a phenomenal game, with 20 carries for 181 combined yards. The starting senior ran in two touchdowns, one from 45 yards out, as well as a two-point conversion.

Coach Kramer says this display of speed and tenacity opened up all kinds of options for the team’s offense: “We were running the ball pretty well, and that opened up the passing game for us...and we hit the passes when we needed to. When the ball’s that wet, it’s kind of nerve-wracking...so we didn’t focus on the pass, but it worked out when we need it.”

Senior quarterback Caleb Stockton, who threw for 82 yards, was responsible for most of those passes working out, but the performance by Chris Saban, Nick Saban’s younger brother, should not be overlooked. Coming into the game wearing number 3, Saban completed both passing attempts, with one of them resulting in a touchdown for the Badgers.

The defense also played strong all game, dominating the Wildcats at the line of scrimmage and allowing only one touchdown.

This crucial win puts the Badgers in contention for the district championship. That means if they win against Priest River on Friday night, the Badgers will be able to put the regular season behind them as if those losses never even happened.

“It’s the last three games that count,” says coach Kramer, “so if we close out this last one, we’re right where we want to be.”

The must-win game on Friday, Oct. 21, is the last home game of the season. It is also senior night and all 14 of the Badgers seniors, including Saban and Stockton, will be honored in a ceremony before the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the senior ceremonies will take place well before that time, probably between 6 and 6:30 p.m.