Back on track: Logan blasts Cottonwood 33-0 behind Falk, Braddy

<strong>LOGAN—</strong> The Logan High football team saw its 14-game winning streak snapped last week with a season opening home loss to Northridge. Friday the Grizzlies wasted no time in starting a new streak as they dominated 5A powerhouse Cottonwood for a 33-0 win.

Senior quarterback Luke Falk completed 29 passes for 340 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, while receiver Jesse Braddy hauled in a school record 15 of those passes for 169 yards and a score to lead the Grizzlies.

“Get him some ice, I didn’t realize he threw 51 times. He had a great game, and Luke was seeing the field for the most part,” Logan head coach Mike Favero said. “He wasn’t getting sacked, and often times that’s good pass protection as well as good decision making … he had a phenomenal game.”

Favero was also impressed with Braddy’s performance.

“Jesse Braddy and Taylor Compton, we had really good matchups with those guys,” he said. “Jesse, you saw what he did last year, you talk about a warrior and a competitor, you look in the Webster Dictionary and I think it will say Jesse Braddy.”

Despite the prolific game through the air, it was a rushing touchdown by Falk that put the Grizzlies on the board first. After marching down to the Colts half yard line, Falk finally punched it in on third down with a quarterback keeper.

That drive was set up by an outstanding play from cornerback Josh Wilson. The senior picked off Cottonwood quarterback Cooper Bateman as the Colts were threatening in the Grizzlies red zone.

“It was big, and it all started with our defense. That really fired up our offense and momentum is a powerful thing and we got that going early,” Braddy said.

Following the touchdown late in the first quarter, the Grizzlies added six more points in the first half courtesy of Jake Thompson’s leg. The senior kicker added field goals of 44 and 49 yards – the later coming as time expired – to send Logan to the locker room with a 13-0 lead.

In the second half, Logan didn’t take long to extend its lead.

Falk made a nice pump fake and then made a perfect pass as junior Taylor Compton got behind the defense and scored from 62 yards out to put the Grizzlies up 20-0 and really open things up.

Compton finished with 11 catches of his own for 147 yards and a score. As a whole, the Logan offense tallied 373 yards of offense on the night.

“We were drooling over it watching film,” Braddy said. “We didn’t know exactly what they were going to run, because they didn’t have a first week game, but man coverage all game – that’s all they ran – and we just tried to find the matchups.”

On the ensuing Cottonwood drive, the Colts moved the ball all the way down to the Logan 19 yard line, but the drive stalled and on a fourth and eight, Bateman was sacked by Jaxton Birky for a 10-yard loss. Birky led the Grizzlies with 10 total tackles.

Following the turnover on downs, Logan went three-and-out, but an illegal participation penalty was called on the Colts during the punt, and Logan received 15 yards and first down. The Grizzlies wasted little time taking advantage of the gift, as Falk hit Braddy for an 18-yard strike with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter.

Thompson added the final touchdown for the Grizzlies as he caught a 15-yard pass with 1:20 remaining in the game. He had a rare extra point miss following the touchdown for the final 33-0 margin.

“I think Cottonwood probably overlooked us a little bit, because it was a close game last year,” Braddy said. “We’re not the same team as last year and we lost the first week game, but we came out fighting.”

Logan (1-1) will hit the road next week for its first road game of the season as the Grizzlies travel to Bountiful. Logan beat the Braves twice last season, once at home, and once in the 4A State Playoffs. Bountiful (2-0) beat Mountain View Friday, 35-7, and opened the season with a 31-21 victory over Lone Peak. 

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