Dogies Turn Early Safety and Defensive Pressure Into 58-0 Win Over Douglas

NEWCASTLE, Wyo. - Newcastle turned a difficult opening for Douglas into immediate points Monday, scoring on its first offensive snap and adding a safety during a 58-0 junior varsity victory over the Bearcats. Weston McConkey opened the scoring with a 43-yard touchdown run after Douglas, backed up to its 1-yard line following a bobbled kickoff return, advanced to its 43 before turning the ball over on downs. A Tanner Lenardson conversion gave the Dogies a 7-0 lead.

Newcastle’s defense quickly tightened its grip on the game. Pressure from Braxton Von Eye and Zeke Morrill helped Zeke Morrill record a sack on Douglas’ next possession. A mishandled snap later allowed Zeke Morrill and several teammates to sack the punter for a safety, extending the lead to 9-0. Newcastle then used a 24-yard run by Weston McConkey and a Douglas penalty to set up Waylon Stolhammer’s 23-yard touchdown run. Tanner Lenardson added the extra point for a 16-0 advantage.

The Dogies continued to create explosive plays on both sides of the ball. Starting at their 21, Brayton Von Eye completed a 20-yard pass to Braxton Von Eye before another completion to Hunter Finley moved Newcastle into scoring range. Weston McConkey finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run.

After Brayton Von Eye made a tackle for loss, Douglas answered with a completion from Conlan Mackey to Parker Geer, but sophomore Dylan Foster delivered another stop behind the line. Pressure from Braxton Von Eye and Zeke Morrill then forced an overthrow that Brayton Von Eye intercepted and returned 37 yards for a touchdown. A Lenardson conversion made it 30-0.

Newcastle’s coverage prevented Douglas from finding a response. Braxton Von Eye and Hunter Finley applied pressure on Mackey forcing an incompletion. Then Brayton Von Eye broke up an out route and Dylan Foster covered the flat on a fourth-down incompletion. The Dogies followed the defensive stop runs by two runs by Von Eye and a rush byWaylon Stolhammer, followed by a completion from Von Eye to Zeke Morrill, setting up Weston McConkey’s 3-yard touchdown.

Douglas later reached midfield with receptions by Geer, but a tackle for loss by Owen Evenson slowed the drive. Brayton Von Eye collected a second interception and returned it 28 yards to the Douglas 25 with less than a minute left before halftime. The Dogies were moving after a 14-yard screen to Braxton Von Eye, however, they ran out of time. Newcastle would close the half with a 37-0 lead.

Coming out of halftime, the Dogies punted for the first time in the game on their opening possession of the second half, then regained the ball when Callan Smith broke up a fourth-down pass. Von Eye started the drive when he broke a 33-yard run behind a key block from Hunter Finley. Von Eye would follow that with a 10-yard gain beforeMcConkey capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown. Lenardson’s extra point increased the margin to 44-0.

Douglas turned the ball over on downs again at its 38, and Foster carried three times to move Newcastle inside the 5. Brayton Von Eye then scored from 3 yards out to make it 51-0. Weston McConkey completed the scoring with a 41-yard touchdown run as the Dogies finished the shutout. Newcastle next travels to face Hot Springs, SD on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5 p.m. MDT.