I was really proud of the way our kids competed. We played very well in every phase of the game and I believe we made great improvements from last week.”

Coach Brandon Gifford

LUSK – More fireworks and an impressive stat sheet resulted in another resounding victory for the Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) Doggers against Niobrara County High School (NCHS) at an away game on Friday, September 13.

Whether in the air or on the ground, a fast and furious LFL offense controlled the gridiron through four quarters, scoring nine touchdowns by the time the dust settled.

A solid Dogger defense yielded only two touchdowns in the third quarter.

Final score – LFL’s second consecutive conference victory by an overwhelming 61-13 margin. 

“I was really proud of the way our kids competed,” coach Brandon Gifford said. “We played very well in every phase of the game and I believe we made great improvements from last week.”

The Doggers really found their momentum in the second half, Gifford added.

“It was nice to see us put multiple play drives together for scores as well as score on big chunk plays. Our defense played extremely well and I thought we were the more physical team on both sides of the ball. We need to continue to get better as the job is not finished.”

The Tigers opened the game in possession, though Niobrara County found itself going nowhere in the face of a tenacious Dogger defense. A tackle for no gain by senior Louden Bremer forced the Tigers to punt.

Taking possession, LFL drove the ball forward with carries by junior Colt Brown and senior Kaiden Riggs. Junior quarterback Brady Cook launched a pair of passes to fellow junior Anthony Arnusch, placing the Doggers at NCHS’s four-yard line.

Brown took the handoff from Cook and charged the remaining yards into the end zone for Dogger touchdown No. 1. A good kick by Arnusch placed LFL up, 7-0.

LFL scored again early in the second quarter when Riggs caught a pass from Cook and sprinted into the end zone for a 36-yard pass play. Arnusch delivered another field goal, widening the Doggers’ lead, 14-0.

A gritty Dogger defense ground down the Tigers on NCHS’s subsequent possession, including a tackle for no gain by Brown and junior Colter McFarlin and an interception by Arnusch.

NCHS gained possession again in the second quarter but only advanced a single yard. Arnusch delivered a powerful kickoff to the two-yard line. The Tigers fumbled at their own three-yard line and Brown recovered the ball for LFL.

Gaining possession, Riggs took the handoff and churned up the middle for Dogger touchdown No. 3. Arnusch made good on a field goal and LFL pulled ahead, 21-0.

The Dogger defense shut out NCHS on the Tiger’s next two attempts to score in the first half, including a sack for loss by Brown and a tackle behind the line of scrimmage by senior Cooper Smith.

LFL topped off the first half with a fourth touchdown. Cook launched the ball to senior Ned Nelson at the Dogger 48-yard line. Nelson found an opening and sprinted 52 yards into the end zone to complete a 75-yard pass play.

A good kick by Arnusch placed LFL up, 28-0, at halftime.

The Dogger offense dominated the third quarter with four touchdowns. Riggs opened scoring with a 98-yard kick return early in the third. Bremer reached the end zone to convert two extra points.

Bremer drove the ball into the end zone twice for a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, the second touchdown on a 35-yard run.

Riggs rounded out scoring in the third with a pick six.

LFL opened the final quarter in possession. Cook handed the ball off to Bremer. Bremer charged 25 yards up the middle and into the end zone for touchdown No. 9.

A powerful Dogger defense prevented NCHS from scoring in the fourth quarter, including tackles for no gain by Smith, Brown and freshmen DeAngelo Gann and Lincoln Speckner.

Arnusch intercepted a pass and LFL’s second string took possession.

The Doggers tallied 275 yards rushing against NCHS. Cook delivered nine passes for 171 yards. Arnusch scored six extra points and set up NCHS at the Tigers’ 20-yard line multiple times with four touchbacks.

Defensively, Brown and Smith both collected nine tackles, including two apiece for loss. Arnusch broke up three passes and tallied two interceptions.

The Doggers host Guernsey-Sunrise for Homecoming Week on Friday, September 20. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.