Broncos host annual Jamboree, prep to face Davenport

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos returned to the gridiron on Friday night to start preparing for the upcoming season. The Broncos hosted the annual Jamboree, with six area teams coming to Ritzville to participate in the preseason contest.

The Aug. 24 event serves as an opportunity for teams to play against each other at game speed, and allow the coaching staff with an opportunity to determine line-up positions, as well as allow athletes to fine-tune their skills.

Head Coach Greg Whitmore said he was pleased with the team’s performance in the Friday night “scrimmage” games. The Broncos were able to play offense and defense twice during the game, running through 10 plays per rotation.

Whitmore said the coaching staff is keeping things as simple as possible for this year’s Broncos, both to benefit the athletes and the coaches.

The Broncos are without defensive coordinator Jason Aldrich, who had been involved with the program for nearly 20 years, but moved from the community to take a new teaching position.

The team will be relying on volunteer coaches to assist throughout the season, including Assistant Coach Mike Lynch and former athletes from the Broncos program.

Whitmore said the team came out of the Jamboree healthy and with increased confidence as they prepare to enter the regular season. He was happy for the opportunity to have tape for the athletes to review, as well as see other teams compete like Northwest Christian and Davenport.

The Broncos are small in numbers this year, with only 26 athletes on the roster. The team does benefit from a strong returning line, with a number of leaders on the gridiron who will help ensure success for the Broncos.

Whitmore said the Broncos have a good nucleus of returning varsity athletes who gained critical experience on the gridiron during the past three years. He is optimistic about the team’s ability to compete this season, and will be looking for the team to work cohesively on the field.

The Broncos’ league will look different this year, as it will now be divided into a north and south league since Chewelah joined the ranks. LRS will be competing in games against teams from last year’s league, which will be played as non-league games.

The first game of the season will match up the Broncos with the Davenport Gorillas in a non-league contest.

Last season, the Gorillas earned a 20-0 victory against LRS, but Whitmore said the Broncos are ready for a rematch this season.

Davenport runs a single-wing offense and is able to outflank their competitors, Whitmore explained, so the Broncos need to remain focused on controlling the line of scrimmage. He added the team has to execute offensively, and focus on making plays and blocks.

With the recent air quality issues, the Broncos had limited time on the field prior to the Jamboree.

Since the conditions have improved, Whitmore said the Broncos will be working on conditioning and developing skills both as individuals and as a team.

The Broncos host the season-opener game against Davenport on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. at Jimmie Snider Field.