Herd falls to Upton at home

The game plan was clear for the Herders on Friday night: Put the ball in the hands of the leading rusher in 2A and let him go to work. Glenrock junior Logan Jones put on a show with another spectacular effort on the ground, but could never find the end zone.

The Herders fell to Upton-Sundance 45-0 at home. 

The shorthanded Herders opened the game with the ball and proceeded to use Jones as a battering ram. A decent gain on the opening play paved the way for a 24-yard scamper that put Glenrock (2-6, 0-6 2A East) up to the Patriots 40-yard-line, but a good read on a 4th down option play buried Jones for a loss and snuffed out a promising drive. Two plays later, Patriots quarterback Keaton Mills connected with receiver Luca Brooks from 35 yards out for the first of four touchdown passes on the night.

The Herder offense got on track again in the second, driving some 70 yards to knock on the end zone, but fullback Dusty Cox got stuffed twice and 4th down toss to Jones was blown up in the backfield, closing down the Herders best shot of the night at breaking the plane for the first time in two weeks.

“I told them, ‘Just keep fighting, you’re doing a lot of good things,’” said assistant coach Carl Federer, who was calling the plays from the sidelines. “We’re doing the things we want to do. For some reason we just can’t finish a drive off lately.”

The Glenrock offense sputtered to open the second half, struggling to move the ball as the Patriots (5-2, 4-2 2A East) keyed on Jones, stacking the box with nine players at times. A Patriots fumble recovered at the Herders 31-yard-line gave Glenrock a little life as they tried snapping the ball directly to Jones, but the burst was short-lived. Jones closed the third quarter bobbing and weaving his way to a 40-yard gain, but the Patriots defense clamped down again. 

“Logan has a very good case to be the Offensive Player of the Year for the 2A East,” Federer said. “He has that stuff you can’t coach. He has that drive and desire and all the stuff you want from a player.”

The fourth quarter saw Mills hit Brooks again on a long bomb with 7:31 to play, triggering a running clock. Jones, now fully assuming quarterbacking duties after an injury, ran the ball all the way to the Upton 34-yard-line on Glenrock’s final drive, but the Herders would get no further before time ran out. 

Jones finished the night with more than 200 yards on the ground behind an offensive line that has opened up big holes all season long. 

“I think the key of the good push is our guys getting a good launch off the ball and being aggressive,” said senior lineman Will Pinkerton. “Logan is our go-to guy and for good reason. He’s a close friend of mine and a killer athlete.”

The Herders will close their season Friday night with one final home game, hosting the Tongue River Eagles (3-4, 2-4 2A East) for Senior Night. Kickof