Ephrata wins Battle of the Basin

There was no shortage of excitement on Friday night as the Ephrata Tigers played host to the Quincy Jackrabbits in the 2013 installment of the Battle of the Basin. A rivalry game always seems to elevate the energy levels and bring out the best in players and teams alike and without question the stadium was buzzing with energy and leaders on both sidelines stepped up their play time and time again on Friday night. "With both teams having winning records last year, Quincy advancing to the playoff quarterfinals and winning last years game by a single point, there was a lot of emotion and excitement surrounding this years game. This was the biggest crowd I've seen at our stadium during my tenure and I don't think the fans were disappointed." Head Coach Jay Mills said.

Perhaps it was all the anticipation leading up to the game that caused both teams to come out a bit flat. While both teams have playmakers with the ability to make big plays and put points on the board, the first half mostly centered around field position and defense. Aside from Dalton Balentine's rushing touchdown and Quincy muffing the snap on an extra point, the first half was really a see-saw battle with both teams working to figure out the oppositions schemes. The second quarter came to a close with a quarterback sack by Quincy linebacker Russel Silk leaving the halftime score Ephrata 7 and Quincy 6. Ultimately the outcome of the Battle of the Basin would come down to the coaches adjustments at half time. "We realized we were going to have to rely more on our inside running game, where we matched up better with them. They defended our permitter run game and play action really well, so we had to adjust some things." Mills said.

Early in the third quarter Ephrata senior quarterback Evan Brooks threw and interception that again swayed the momentum in favor of Quincy momentarily and caused the EHS sideline to hang their heads with the wind taken out of their sails at a crucial point in the rivalry game. Just two plays later sophomore Tyler Lutz would responded for the Tigers with an interception of his own which he returned for 20 yards. As the pendulum swung again, this time in the Tigers favor, the pace of the game would pick up as the pressure grew on the both sidelines. Ephrata's stamina began to play into their favor as they persistently ran the ball between the tackles, with Balentine taking the bulk of the workload. They finished off the drive with an Evan Brooks quarterback sneak with 5:36 left in the third quarter. Quincy would respond quickly with a score of their own, but would fail to convert the two point conversion. The Tigers would stick with their tough run game that had marched them down the field on their previous scoring drive. As Tyler Lutz and Dalton Balentine kept chipping away at the Jack's defense with five and six yard gains, they also ate up some significant time on the game clock. With 8:36 remaining in the fourth quarter Balentine bounced a run off tackle to the left and somersaulted into the end-zone for another score. After tacking on the extra point field goal Ephrata led 21-12, the first lead of more than one score in the game as the missed extra points by Quincy earlier in the game were coming back to haunt them. Quincy didn't get discouraged as they set out to close the nine point deficit, completing passes and moving down the field quickly. Just as the drive appeared to be in trouble with the Jacks backed up to third down and 28, they completed a 30 yard pass and moved the chains again. The crowd was getting loud on both sides with dueling chants going back and forth from each fan base, as the intensity on the field was being mirrored by the grand stands, it was clear this is a rivalry. With just over six minutes left in the quarter and Quincy 25 yards away from scoring the ball came loose and Ephrata had recovered, at least it appeared that way as the first whistle sounded. The call on the field was that the quarterback was down before the fumble and it would remain Quincy football. The side judge then overturned the call, as it appeared from his vantage point the ball came out before the player down. It was at this time that the entire team of officials converged in the middle of the field, having already discussed the play with both coaches. After the officials' huddle broke, they overturned the call for a second time, announcing it would remain Quincy's possession and causing an uproar of cheers and boos from the bleachers. "The first official blew his whistle as the sack occurred making the play dead at that point. Looking back at the play it was bang-bang, but they got it right." Mills said.

The Jacks' momentum wouldn't carry them much further as junior Connor Martin intercepted a pass just moments later putting Ephrata back in the driver seat. Just as they had done for the majority of the second half the Tigers kept pounding the run between the tackles. Adding to his already amazing performance sophomore Tyler Lutz took a carry up the middle and broke through the pack, going 92 yards for a touchdown that would put the Tigers up 28-12. After a back and forth game with all the makings of a great rivalry, the big plays on defense and the relentless run game of Ephrata had finally put the game out of reach and ensured the Battle of the Basin trophy would return to the Tigers for a second straight year. "It felt awesome to get my first varsity touchdown, especially on a run like that." Lutz said. The second half adjustments by coach Jay Mills and the Tigers changed the pace of the game and capitalized on their strengths enough to pull away from a very strong Quincy team. "Even when our offense was struggling, our defense was in control most of the game, which allowed me to remain patient and confident calling plays." Mills said.

As the final horn sounded the scoreboard read 28-12 and the Tigers hoisted the Battle of the Basin trophy in celebration. The teams both demonstrated great sportsmanship throughout the game, helping each other up after hard hits, taking a knee when a player was injured and lining up to shake hands and congratulate each other after a hard fought battle.

It was an emotional way to start the season with a rivalry game between two very good teams. The Tigers will now turn their attention to Ellensburg next Friday night as they look to start the season 2-0, while the Jacks of Quincy will prepare for Royal City.