The new-look Republic Tigers gained 418 total yards in a 40-0 win at Springfield Central to open the Wes Beachler era. But Beachler says the biggest accomplishment for his team may have been just getting back on the field after the loss of teammate Garrett Blotter to a car accident during the offseason.
“I think it was important for our kids to play a game again,” Beachler says. “I know there’s a lot of heavy hearts, a lot of teary eyes. I think that was our biggest accomplishment was to get out here and play a game and honor him and do a good job.”
The Tigers did it with a balanced attack using the new double-wing offense installed by Beachler. Fullback Zach Dickens led the way with 109 yards — one of them a 76-yard rush in the 2nd half that set up his own touchdown a play later.
Republic had four other players with almost identical totals. Jace Duvall had seven carries for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Tryston Ellison ran for 63 yards and a TD on only three carries. Colton Peltz ran for 59 yards in eight plays, and James Desjardins had seven carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. You can count Desjardins as a fan of the new system.
“I love this offense. I feel like it’s a very good fit for the running backs we have,” Desjardins says. “We have a lot of smaller sized guys, but we’re shifty, we’re quick. Our offense is setting up, and by the time the play has developed, we’re already popping out of the gate and the defense is looking this way, looking this way, and boom, we’re gone.”
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Republic broke on top with 2:58 left in the 1st quarter when DesJardins scored on a 9-yard-run to wrap up a 5-play, 35-yard drive. They scored again with 1:03 left in the quarter on a 30-yard run by Jace Duvall. Both conversions failed, and it was 12-0.
Their next score came with 2:50 left in the half when Duvall scored again on a 10-yard run. The two-point conversion made it 20-0.
“Our line just went and made the holes, our backs blocked right, and from there it was easy,” says Duvall.
In the 2nd half, Dickens broke free for the longest run of the night to put the offense back in scoring position, then followed it up with his first touchdown of the year. The conversion made is 28-0.
James Desjardins and the defense got in on the fun in the 4th quarter. He picked off a pass at the 50-yard line and ran it into the end zone to give the Tigers a 34-0 lead.
The final score came late in the 4th quarter when Tryston Ellison broke loose and scampered 54 yards for the touchdown.
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