Bear River escapes Lindhurst with close win

The Jeremy Kerr era at Bear River opened with a win Friday night, as the Bruins held off a late push to win at Lindhurst 21-18. Bear River stormed out of the gate behind a strong first half, but had to survive a tense finish after penalties and miscues allowed the Blazers to hang around. "I felt like our first half was really good, and our second half was a real nail-biter," Kerr said. "They had the time of possession in the second half, and we just made a lot of young mistakes. But our defense stuck it out and really carried us through." One of the biggest plays came from Taven Duffy, who had several key catches and runs on offense. Cole Mertens provided a big momentum shift on defense when he scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Kerr also said quarterback Jaden Brock impressed, showing poise and leadership. "He just had composure," Kerr said. "Even when things didn't go our way, he stayed optimistic. That's something we've been working on. He's not letting little mistakes ruin the whole game." Kerr applauded the defensive effort most, noting the Bruins stood tall even when the Blazers were making a late push. "It was kind of that bend but don't break mentality that helped us finish it off with the win," said Kerr. Kerr said Bear River knows it will need to play a cleaner game this week against Truckee if it wants to be 2-0. "Truckee is a program we have the utmost respect for. They have proven themselves year in and year out and in the last three years, they've made it to the state championships in Nevada." Kerr said. "We were able to overcome the penalties and miscues (Friday) night, but against Truckee, that's going to be really hard to do. If we can eliminate those mistakes and stick to our game plan, I think we can give them a run for their money." Kerr said he was happy to get the first win out of the way early and noted it sets the tone for the season as the Bruins seek another playoff run. Said Kerr, "It's great to get that first win. Psychologically, it helps us get through the humps of the next few weeks, because it's going to be a grind. Our guys showed a lot of fight, and that's exciting to see."