With a week left before the season kicks off, the coaching staffs got a chance at one last tune-up.
In the first scrimmage, the offenses ruled in Bowsher’s 32-20 win over Northview.
The Wildcats of the Northern Lakes League, 2-8, in 2008, drove to set up junior back Addison Hirschfeld’s one-yard plunge, and Levi Jasper added field goals from 22 and 27 yards for a 13-13 tie.
A 36-yard Shelton-to-Russell hookup set up senior slot back Leonard Brown’s weaving, 34-yard TD bolt for a 19-13 Bowsher lead after two quarters. In the second half, Hirschfeld scored on a 23-yard run, and Jasper’s PAT put the Wildcats ahead 20-19 in this back-and-forth battle.
But Brown answered for Bowsher, capping a 70-yard drive on a 22-yard cutback run around the left end for a 25-20 lead. Russell finished with a 70-yard interception return.
“The thing that I liked the most was that we didn’t quit and we continued to fight, and we believed in each other,” first-year Bowsher head coach Wondell Hills said. “But, we’ve definitely got a lot of work to do on defense and finishing plays.
“We worked hard in the offseason on the passing game, and we’ve made that the focus of our offense this season. As far as the running game, we’re very inexperienced up front – three sophomores, and a senior who only played defense last year. We have a long way to go there. I feel confident they’ll get it done but, for now, we’re going to go with what works [the pass].”