Coyotes roll past rival Leyton, into playoffs

POTTER - Potter-Dix ended its home portion of the schedule in style.

The Coyotes grabbed the early lead and went on to roll to a 46-12 win over rival Leyton last Friday. Potter-Dix (5-3) also clinched a playoff berth, and will travel to Paxton for a 6 p.m. MDT game on Thursday to open the playoffs.

Making the playoffs was an important goal for the season after not making the playoffs last year, said head coach Dale Frerichs.

"The playoffs was one of our major team goals this year, especially after missing out last year," he said. "It feels good to put in all the hard work between the end of last season and this season and see that come to fruition!"

Potter-Dix drove to the Leyton 18-yard line on its first drive before turning the ball over on downs. Leyton took over and was driven back six yards before being forced to punt.

The Coyotes took the lead on their second drive of the game and never looked back. Quarterback Cameron Purcell got things going offensively with a 36-yard run to the Leyton 8-yard line, and then found Cooper Hicks on the next play for an 8-yard touchdown through the air to take the lead with 7:43 left in the first quarter. The 2-point play was foiled, and the Coyotes held a 6-0 advantage.

The Warriors opened their next drive at their own 15-yard line, and moved to the Coyote 35-yard line in six plays. On fourth and one, Potter-Dix stopped the fake punt attempt and took over at its own 35. The Coyotes needed just one play to extend their lead. Purcell found Kelsey Rozelle down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead with 4:04 left in the first quarter. Potter-Dix completed the two-point conversion pass from Purcell to Hicks for a 14-0 advantage.

"It's always important to get an early lead, especially in a rivalry game," Frerichs said.

Leyton got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter after it took over on a Potter-Dix turnover. The Warriors drove 35 yards on six plays, scoring on a 19-yard pass to open the second quarter. The Coyotes held a 14-6 lead with 11:57 left in the half.

Potter-Dix quickly got those points back. The Coyotes moved 52 yards on seven plays and added to their lead on a 14-yard run run by Noah Nelson. Rozelle's extra point attempt was blocked as Potter-Dix held a 20-6 advantage with 10:02 left in the half.

The Coyotes' next score came via special teams. Potter-Dix forced Leyton to punt after driving them back two yards in three plays. Rozelle took the punt and returned it about 40 yards for a touchdown as the Coyotes took a 26-6 lead with 8:08 left in the half. Purcell completed a pass to Jake Johnson on the 2-point conversion attempt, but Johnson was tackled short of the goal line.

The Coyote defense stepped up and forced a turnover on the Warriors' next drive. Noah Nelson picked off the Rhett Dye pass and Potter-Dix started its next drive at its own 30-yard line. Johnson quickly ended the four-play drive, scoring on a 40-yard run with 5:57 left in the half. Purcell's 2-point conversion pass to Coby Hicks was complete and the Coyotes took a 34-6 advantage.

Potter-Dix put the ball across the goal line one final time in the first half. The Coyotes chewed up over two and a half minutes of clock as they marched down the field on nine plays. Purcell hit Johnson on a 20-yard pass over the middle for a touchdown as the Coyotes led 40-6 with 38 seconds left in the half. They held the same lead at the break.

The Coyotes' defense dominated the first half of play. They forced the Warriors to punt four times, not including a fake punt attempt, and also had two interceptions. Leyton's lone first half score came in the second quarter on its fourth drive of the game.

"Three and outs are the same as turnovers, especially if you have guys like Kelsey (Rozelle) and Noah (Nelson) that can take a punt back for a score at anytime," Frerichs said.

The Coyotes blocked a Warrior punt on the first drive of the second half, and took over at the Leyton 22-yard line. Rozelle took it in on a 12-yard run and the Coyotes led 46-6 with 5:19 left in the third quarter.

Johnson led the team rushing with 70 yards and a touchdown. He also completed a 24-yard pass on a trick play. Purcell threw for 132 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 41 yards. Defensively, Cooper Hicks led the team with six unassisted tackles and six assisted tackles.

Potter-Dix has won five of its last six games heading into Thursday's playoff game at Paxton. The two teams met earlier in the season, with Paxton winning 55-32 on Sept. 19 in Potter.

"You always want to end the season with momentum, especially if you qualify for the playoffs," Frerichs said. "Every team would like to defend their home turf and send their seniors out with a win."

Score by quarter

Leyton 0 6 0 6 - 12

P-D 14 26 6 0 - 46

Rushing

Jake Johnson 9-70 (TD), Kelsey Rozelle 13-42 (TD), Cameron Purcell 6-41, Noah Nelson 4-21 (TD), Cooper Hicks 3-16.

Passing

Cameron Purcell 8/15, 132 yards, 3 TD. Jake Johnson 1/1, 24 yards.

Receiving

Noah Nelson 2-41, Coby Hicks 2-19, Cooper Hicks 2-17 (TD), Kelsey Rozelle 1-35 (TD), Cameron Purcell 1-24, Jake Johnson 1-20 (TD).

Solo tackles

Cooper Hicks 6, Jake Johnson 5, Noah Nelson 5, Coby Hicks 2, Sam Gingerich 2, Kelsey Rozelle 2, Keveret Rusk 1, Dylan Nielsen 1, Justice Palmer 1.

Assisted tackles

Sam Gingerich 9, Cooper Hicks 6, Noah Nelson 6, Coby Hicks 5, Jake Johnson 5, Kelsey Rozelle 3, Keveret Rusk 2, Cameron Purcell 2, Zac Gotfrey 2.

Tackles for a loss

Jake Johnson 2, Sam Gingerich 2, Cooper Hicks 1.

Sacks

Jake Johnson 1, Coby Hicks 0.5, Sam Gingerich 0.5

Interceptions

Noah Nelson 1, Kelsey Rozelle 1.