Cowboys Find Their Footing In 77-40 Win Over Fairview
It took the Culbertson Cowboys a little time to settle in, but once they did, their ground game took over.
After falling behind by 12 points early in the second quarter, the Cowboys found their rhythm on both sides of the ball and rolled to a 77-40 victory over Fairview.
Brooks Solem turned in a big night for Culbertson, rushing 18 times for 296 yards and seven touchdowns. Cord Snyder added 102 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries and also caught a touchdown pass.
For head coach Brian Manning, though, those impressive numbers were only part of the story.
“I’d say overall we went through some growing pains early and then settled in, and I was very impressed with how our oensive line played as a whole,” Manning said. “Rushing for almost 400 yards was a really impressive performance by the boys, and it was all thanks to the line.”
Fairview struck first when quarterback Brycen Fox connected with Trigger Henline for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Culbertson quickly answered as Solem found Snyder for a touchdown, and Trust Magwaba’s kick gave the Cowboys a 7-6 lead.
Fox and Henline connected again later in the opening quarter to put Fairview back in front, but Solem responded with an 11-yard touchdown run. Culbertson carried a narrow 14-12 advantage into the second quarter.
The back-and-forth battle continued as Fairview scored twice early in the second, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from Fox to Henline and a 35-yard interception return for a score. Suddenly, the Cowboys found themselves trailing 26-14.
Culbertson didn’t stay down for long.
Solem broke free for a 60yard touchdown run to begin the comeback. The Cowboys then recovered a Fairview fumble, and Snyder turned the takeaway into a 26-yard touchdown run that put Culbertson back in front 29-26.
The momentum stayed with the Cowboys for the remainder of the half.
Solem added touchdown runs of 18 and 32 yards, while Snyder scored twice more on the ground. Culbertson’s defense also continued to make its presence felt, forcing turnovers that gave the oense short fields and additional opportunities.
By halftime, what had been a three-point Culbertson lead at the end of the first quarter had grown to a 5526 advantage. The Cowboys continued to lean on their rushing attack in the third quarter. Solem added two more touchdowns, including a 30-yard run, as Culbertson stretched its lead to 70-26.
Fairview continued battling in the fourth quarter. Garrett McPhearson scored on a 1-yard run, and the Warriors later recovered a fumble in the end zone for another touchdown to make it 70-40.
Solem had one more big play left, breaking loose for a 48-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring and put the finishing touches on Culbertson’s 77-40 victory.
Solem and Snyder combined for 398 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, with Snyder adding another score through the air.
But on a night filled with long runs and plenty of points on the scoreboard, Manning made sure the Cowboys doing the work up front received their share of the credit.
After weathering Fairview’s early push, Culbertson’s oensive line helped the Cowboys find their footing — and once they did, the Cowboys were o and running.
