BONNERS FERRY — Down six starters against the No. 3 team in 4A, Fruitland, the Bonners Ferry Badgers ran out of gas late on Friday and fell 41-13. 

Despite being shorthanded, the Badgers battled throughout the entire game and sent the contest to halftime down one point, 14-13. Chance Winkleseth and Samuel Brown scored the team’s two touchdowns on the ground, while quarterback Alex Stolley continued to drive the offense with 115 yards on 25 carries.

Winkleseth's touchdown was his third of the season, and Brown's score was his second of the year. Stolley's day elevated him to 454 rushing yards on the season, averaging an impressive 6.4 yards per carry.

After his explosive touchdown run against Sandpoint, sophomore running back Max Thompson saw more playing time, totaling 21 yards on six attempts.

"Couldn’t be more proud, down six starters, it was next man up, and they played with absolutely everything until they had nothing left,” Bonners Ferry head coach Swift said. “We made some mistakes at key points... we kind of ran out of gas late, but these kids played their hearts out.” 

Swift said he told his team he was proud of their fight, especially his offensive and defensive fronts. Those groups, made up of Kale Mielke, Caden Bates, Austin McLaughlin, Zachariah Varelman, Logan DesMarais, Gabriel Warren and Zane Veder, will frequently play both ways and bear the brunt of a physical game like this one. 

Varelman stuffed the stat sheet against the Grizzlies, racking up four tackles, all of them for a loss. Senior Hunter Campbell led the Badgers with nine tackles on the night.

While the loss takes Bonners Ferry down to 3-2 on the season, Swift said he feels as good as he ever has about this team. 

“This moment, this loss can be a catalyst for the rest of the season,” Swift said. 

The Badgers will try to reignite their season next week as they play host to Logos High for their homecoming weekend. Bonners Ferry will host the 3A school at 7 p.m. at Bonners Ferry High on Sept. 25. 

Bonners Ferry 0 13 0 0 13 

Fruitland 7 7 13 14 41