By Christopher Duclos

Homecoming spirit was very much alive at Memorial Stadium. Beaver fans came out in full force for Friday night’s homecoming matchup against the Newport Knights, filling up most of the ample bleachers at the stadium in a sea of red, white and black.

Nate Rauda led the team in tackles with 8.5 on Defense. Other notable defensive performances include tackling totals by Jordan McColloch (4.5), Justin Simon (3.5), Kyle ward (3.5) and Nathan Leapai (3.5).

The Newport defense was stout and stingy, making the night difficult for the Ballard offense to put up points. Hopeful passes were knocked down, and rushes were stopped short. The lone score of the night came in the second quarter when Johnny Verduin completed a 15-yard pass to receiver Nate Rauda. Dominique Smith rushed for a total 69 yards on 7 carries, averaging 9.9 yards per carry.

The boys fought hard during the game in hopes of giving their fans a homecoming win. Unfortunately their efforts fell short, resulting in a 48-7 loss.

Their next game pits them against Skyline for another conference matchup on Friday October 5 at 7 p.m.