outlaws tame wolfpack 49-12, start season 2-0
The Outlaws were on the road on Sunday, May 5, and beat the Washington Wolfpack in dominating fashion, 49-12. They are now 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in Division play. The Outlaws will continue on the road this Saturday, May 11 (6:30 pm kickoff), and face the Rapid City Marshals at Summit Arena in Rapid City, South Dakota.
This victory propelled the Outlaws to a 2-0 record, while the Wolfpack fell to 0-2.
While the final score signals a crushing defeat for the Wolfpack, the Outlaws' dominant performance was not palpable early in the game. After Billings quarterback Issac Harker threw a 38-yard touchdown on the first play of the game, the Wolfpack kept the game close as Washington quarterback Jacob Ta’ase avoided pressure and aired out his own 32-yard strike.
Though the Wolfpack missed their first field goal and put Washington down 7-6 in the opening minutes of the game, Harker aired out another long pass, resulting in a touchdown. The score was set up by another long ball to a receiver for an acrobatic catch over the sideline wall. The Wolfpack matched Harker’s next touchdown with a score of their own at the beginning of the second quarter on a punch in by fullback Jayson Jackson.
Both teams were able to move the chains early due to the fantastic play of the offensive lines. However, after a sack of Ta’ase with a strong rush charging through a gap up the middle, the Wolfpack's offense began to sputter while the Outlaws' offense hummed. They ran short screens and motions, leading to long completions down the field to open up the game. The first half ended with a hail-Mary interception, with a score of 27-12.
The Outlaws were dominant in the second half and pitched a shutout for the rest of the game, recording 22 unanswered points. Though the Wolfpack were able to move the chains to begin the third quarter, the drive started with back-to-back penalties and a turnover that resulted in a touchdown. Down 33 to 12, the Wolfpack committed two more penalties after a strong effort on a throw for a 50-50 ball to JR Nelson by Ta’ase.
The scoring output of the Outlaws did not slow down. Harker connected with Karonce Higgins on the very next drive, putting the Outlaws up 43 to 12 with 3 minutes and 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
On the next drive, the Wolfpack allowed a sack and lost a 50-50 pass attempt on third down and another on fourth down. On the turnover, Parker found Higgins for another long touchdown for the final score of the quarter and the game.
The Outlaws controlled the rest of the game and rode out the clock for a final score of 49-12.
In Week 3, the Outlaws face the Rapid City Marshall on Saturday, May 11, at 8:30 PM EST. The Washington Wolfpack match up against the West Texas Desert Hawks in Everett, Washington, at 3:30 EST.