Loomis leads Warriors with a big game against Tekoa-Rosalia

COULEE CITY — The defending 1B state champion Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors faced Tekoa-Rosalia two years ago on their way to a state title. They’re hoping some of that karma rolls over with Saturday’s 66-6 win over the Timberwolves.

Senior Hayden Loomis did everything but put the paint down on the yard lines. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound running back rushed for 196 yards on six carries with touchdown runs of 24, 55 and 47 yards. He was on the receiving end of a Maguire Isaak 5-yard touchdown pass. On the defensive side, he had two interceptions and made one of the special team plays of the game when he recovered an onside kick that eluded the T-R return team.

“It’s eight-man football, it takes everybody doing their part. It’s like next man up and today was my turn,” said Loomis. “We’d seen these guys two years ago and it was pretty much the same result and it was just doing what we needed to get done.

“Today was more of a team thing. It’s a lot bigger field than the 11-man game and we have to work together to get where we want to get. We like to hit our peak at the right time, if we can stay focused and prepare during the week we feel pretty good.”

Loomis sandwiched his touchdown reception between touchdown runs of 24 and 55 yards. Quarterback Maguire Isaak threw scoring strikes to Loomis and Gage Burchill and ACH took a 28-0 lead into the second quarter. Loomis broke off his third rushing touchdown of the first half a minute into the second quarter on a 47-yard burst and, like Loomis, the Warriors were off and running.

“It feels a little different than last year because we have different weapons on offense,” said Isaak, who was 4-of-5 for 78 yards and three touchdowns. “We have (Brayton) Shafer. He’s a running back, but when we split him out wide he causes troubles for our opponents.

“Our offensive line is doing a great job. Reece (Isaak), my cousin, is at center. He does a great job. The combination of Jared Goetz, Jacob Mitchell, Wyatt Zielinski do a great job with run and pass blocking.”

The Warriors ran just 31 plays, but posted 504 yards. Once they got it going, there’s was no stopping a team that’s won two 1B state championships in the past three years. Isaak had three touchdown passes, but it was the ground game (425 yards), that chewed the Timberwolves up and spit them out.

Schafer had two rushing touchdowns and hauled in a touchdown pass for ACH, which did allow a touchdown against the reserves in the fourth quarter.

Next: vs. No. 7 Crescent, TBD

Scoring

TR 0 0 0 6 - 6

ACH 28 26 6 6 - 66

ACH - Hayden Loomis 24 run (Brayton Schafer pass from Maguire Isaak)

ACH - Loomis 5 pass from Maguire Isaak (Maguire Isaak run)

ACH - Loomis 55 run (pass fails)

ACH - Gage Burchill for 54 pass from Maguire Isaak (run fails)

ACH - Loomis 47 run (Maguire Isaak run)

ACH - Brayton Schafer 14 run (run fails)

ACH - Dane Isaak 22 run ( Cody Kagele pass from Dane Isaak)

ACH - Grady Murray 33 yrun (pass fails)

TR - Craig Mueller 33 pass from Riley McLain (pass fails)