Highland shuts out Lake City, gets a trio of FGs from Bartschi in win

Highland High School senior Seth Bartschi connects on one of his three field goals Saturday. Bartschi scored 10 of the 16 points in the games, helping the Rams secure a shutout victory. | EastIdahoSports.com POCATELLO — After surrendering 70 points last week, the Highland defense came out Saturday with an added intensity. “We took last week very, very personally,” head coach Nick Sorrell said of the 70-6 whooping his Rams took at the hands of a Skyridge (UT) team currently ranked 88th in the country. Highland (3-1) allowed just 167 yards of total offense in shutting out the Lake City Timberwolves (0-3), 16-0, at Highland High School. Lake City’s defense was up to the task, though, holding the Rams to just one touchdown. In need of scoring, Highland turned to senior kicker Seth Bartschi, who connected on all three of his field goal attempts, including a 48-yarder that gave the Rams a 16-point lead with 6:52 remaining in the game. “We really pride ourselves on special teams,” Sorrell said after the game. “You look at the history that Highland has, in terms of kickers — Ian Hershey just to name the most recent one. … When we have that weapon that most teams don’t have, that’s a huge advantage for us.” Seth Bartschi is the East Idaho Sports Game Ball recipient. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com Playing under the Saturday sun, the two defense traded haymakers early to finish the first quarter in a scoreless tie. Highland finally put together its first productive drive to start the second quarter, moving the ball 41 yards into Timberwolves territory. But the drive stalled out, on the edge of Bartschi’s range just inside the 40, when the Rams failed to pick up a first down on fourth and 10. Following another quick stop from the Highland defense, led by a sack from senior linebacker Brandsen Layton, the Rams got the ball back near midfield. After picking up a pair of first downs, Sorrell sent Bartschi out to break up the tie. The right-footer was good from 38 for the game’s first points. Sorrell called the first kick — not a gimme by any means — a key in Highland’s search for momentum. “We have so much confidence in him,” the coach said of Bartschi. Senior Brandsen Layton sacks Lake City quarterback Britton Johnston to set up a third and long during the second quarter of Saturday’s Rams win. | EastIdahoSports.com The Ram defense forced another three-and-out following the kick. The offense took over at the 50, again not needing much to get into Bartschi’s range. He was again true on a 31-yarder with less than a minute remaining in the half. The third quarter featured more of the same defensive struggle, until junior quarterback Jacob Vincent and the Highland passing game found a little rhythm in the closing minutes of the quarter. Vincent connected on six of eight attempts, leading the Rams to their first touchdown of the game on the final play of the quarter. The Rams jumped out to a 13-0 lead when Vincent hit Cedric Mitchell on a screen pass and allowed the running back to make magic, dodging several Timberwolves en route to a 14-yard score. Mitchell was slowed by the Lake City defense much of the game, finishing with 26 yards on eight carries. He added four catches for 35 yards and the game’s only score. Sorrell called Mitchell “just a playmaker.” “You get him the ball in open space and just let him do his thing,” he said. “It’s fun to watch. You just sit back and enjoy it — see what he can do because he’s a special talent.” Vincent was also slowed early, but was at his best in the second half, completing 15 of 30 passes for 180 yards and the touchdown pass to Mitchell. Cedric Mitchell wins the race to the pylon for the game’s only touchdown. | EastIdahoSports.com With its offense battling, the Highland defense was solid all day, logging three sacks and countless more quarterback hurries. Cody Wallace was responsible for the game’s only takeaway, picking off a fourth-quarter heave from quarterback Britton Johnston. Of the 167 yards the Rams allowed, 44 came on a single pass. But the defense was responsible for a litany of penalties. Lake City’s only real scoring chance came when the Timberwolves were aided by a targeting penalty and two defensive pass interference calls against the Rams. But that drive stalled as well and ended in a turnover on downs. Sorrell said that the over-aggression leading to penalties was the only problem he saw from his defense, adding that those problems are a byproduct of the way he wants the unit to play. “That’s the physicality that we want to play with. We want to fly around and do some great things,” the coach said. The afternoon’s final points came off the foot of Bartschi, when he was good from 48 with some 10 yards to spare. “Proper preparation prevents poor performances. I feel like I’m prepared,” he said after the game. Asked what went through his mind while he was coming out to the field for the kick, Bartschi said his mind was clear. He said, his only focus was on taking a few deep breaths and “do what I do.” “Coach told me to … let the crowd tell you it’s in,” he said. “It’s good to know that I have a team that believes in me, and that I can come through for them.” Highland opens conference play next week, when they venture to Thunder Ridge for a showdown with the Titans (2-1).The post Highland shuts out Lake City, gets a trio of FGs from Bartschi in win appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com