Record-setting night propels Baxter football team to first win of season

MELCHER-DALLAS — A school-record nine sacks helped the Baxter football team post its first shutout since 2022 on Friday.

The Bolts rushed for 230 yards and added 13 tackles for loss on defense during their 60-0 road win over Melcher-Dallas during Class 8-man District 7 action.

It was the first career varsity football win for first-year head coach Zach Hasselbrink, who was the program’s defensive coordinator the last time the Bolts shut out an opponent.

The nine sacks is not only a school record. It’s also two more than the Bolts registered all of last year. They also had 11 sacks two years ago.

Baxter (1-2, 1-1 in the district) won its fourth straight over Melcher-Dallas. The previous two scores were 68-0 and 64-0, which came on Sept. 2, 2022, and was the team’s most recent shutout before Friday night.

Eight of the nine sacks came from players who registered their first career varsity sacks.

Ruger Kincaid led the defense with a career-best 7.5 tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss.

Liam Trent posted a career-high 4.5 tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss, Owen Parrie had a career-most four tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and one forced fumble and Cole Frasher chipped in a career-best four tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

It was the first career varsity sacks for Kincaid, Trent, Parrie and Frasher. All three Parrie sacks came on Melcher-Dallas’ final possession of the game.

Hayden Burdess finished with six tackles as well as his first career varsity sack. He leads the Bolts with 21 tackles this fall.

Eli Dee tallied 5.5 tackles, Stadan Vansice collected four tackles, Cael Wishman added one sack and Cooper Smith recovered a fumble for the first time in his varsity career.

Baxter’s offense averaged 7.9 yards per carry and 21.6 yards per completion.

Vansice was 6-of-12 through the air for 120 yards and three touchdowns, added 67 rushing yards and two scores on nine carries and scored three two-point conversions.

Dee completed his only pass for 31 yards, rushed for 33 yards and one TD on two carries and hauled in four passes for 107 yards and three scores.

Wishman gained 67 yards and scored one TD on six carries, Derek Rominger ran for 56 yards on six carries and Colten Damman caught two passes for 34 yards.

Melcher-Dallas (1-2, 1-1) was limited to 59 rushing yards on 23 carries. Gavyn Thordarson led the Saints with seven caches for 78 yards and added 6.5 tackles and one fumble recovery on defense.