Bluejays take hard hit in Florence; lose fourth straight to Bobcats

The Three Lakes-Phelps varsity football team lost to Florence, 38-6, last Friday on the road, marking the fourth consecutive loss to this long-time conference rival. It was also the first time in four years that the Jays have lost back-to-back games in the regular season schedule.

Recent games between the clubs have been fought in the trenches, leaving both sides with mud-stained uniforms in close battles, but this game was different as the Bluejays were never able to get offensive rhythm. Just as things would look promising on a drive, an unexpected error, penalty, or defensive play by the Bobcats would place the Jays in a position to punt or lose possession on downs. 

“There is no question that multiple turnovers cost us an opportunity to be in a closer ball game,” Bluejays head coach Justin Szews said after the loss. “The Bobcat’s top two defensive players were in our backfield much of the night, disrupting our running game and making it difficult to build momentum.”

The Bluejays had 61 rushing yards against Florence, breaking the two-game streak of 100-yard games on the ground by running back Sawyer Szews. He also had three pass receptions for 30 yards.  Easton Lurvey was six for eight at quarterback throwing for 76 yards and no interceptions.

Much of the offensive attention was on Charlie Liebscher as he not only rushed the ball 10 times for 47 yards and made one catch for 18 yards, but he lit up his teammates and the small contingent of traveling fans with 171 yards of kick return yardage, including a 90-yard touchdown run just before halftime to give the Jays their only points in the game.

Liebscher returned five punts with an average of 34.2 yards per return, and there was energy on both sidelines of the field whenever he touched the ball. In addition to his football production, Liebscher is a dual-sport athlete who is also the current scoring leader for the Bluejays varsity soccer team.   

Doug Koshuta once again led the defensive team with eight solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles, and 22 total tackles. He was followed closely by Lurvey who had 16 total tackles in addition to his quarterback assignment. Szews was second on team defense with five solo tackles, including one for a loss of yardage, and had 12 total tackles.  

“Doug and Easton had fantastic individual efforts for us on the defensive side of the ball,” Szews stated.  “They cover a lot of ground on the field and play a very physical game.” Other key defensive performers included Zach Weavers with 12 total tackles, and the combination of Owen Liebscher and Bentley Bills who had 15 total tackles.  

Liebscher also had the only interception of the night for the Bluejays, along with two pass receptions for 23 yards. Sam Koshuta, Jack Westfall, Noah Kincaid, Charlie Liebscher and Brady Roberts all contributed statistically on defense with a collective 13 total tackles against a full roster of more than 20 Bobcat players.  

The Bluejays travel again this week in a matchup with the Northeast Conference leader, Wausaukee High School, on Friday, October 11, with a 7 p.m. game time. The Rangers are the only undefeated team in the conference with a 5-0 record, while the Jays currently sit in a third-place tie with a 3-2 record.