TORRINGTON – The Torrington High School football team opened the 2A East Conference schedule on Friday evening in dominating fashion.

They shutout the Burns Broncs 43-0, and not only was it the first conference win, but it was also the first win of season for the Blazers.

Torrington didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard in the first quarter.

After holding Burns to a 3-and-out drive, senior quarterback Bryce Hager broke free around the right side for a 17-yard touchdown.

Being able to swing the momentum in Torrington’s favor was huge in the first quarter.

“Burns came out trying to throw the ball right away, and we were able to stop that,” THS coach Russell Stienmetz said. “Getting that offensive score quickly and getting that momentum on our side, we were able to carry that throughout the game.”

The rushing set the tone for the Blazers’ rushing attack the remainder of the game.

“Excited that we were able to establish the line of scrimmage with our big guys on the offensive side,” Stienmetz said. “Even on the defensive side, I thought those guys did a great job of hemming in Burns’ run game.’

The secondary also earned praise from Stienmetz after the game.

“Over the top, I thought our secondary played well, rallying to completions or in their zones and coverages,” Stienmetz said.

In all, Torrington’s six touchdowns came on the ground – four by Hager, one by Greysen Shields and one by Nounou Braddy.

Torrington also got two additional points from Hager on a safety midway through the third quarter.

Despite the win, there is still work to be done for the Blazers. Torrington turned the ball over five times against Burns. It is an area which Stienmetz wants to see his team clean up as they get into the heart of the conference schedule.

“Last week, we went back to the basics, and this week, we’ll continue to go back to the basics of ball security this week,” Stienmetz said. “Ball security is a must as possessions will be key this coming week and every week after. We need to make better decisions.”

Junior Kaiden Riggs led the team with 118 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Hager rushed 14 times for 102 yards and four touchdowns. Hager was also 6-of-14 passing for 53 yards.

Hager had 20 defensive points, including three sacks, while senior lineman Ty Bennick added 15 points, including two tackles for loss. Junior Kaden Romig also added 15 points, including five solo stops.

The Blazers (1-2 overall and 1-0 in the 2A East Conference) heads to Wheatland (1-2 and 1-0) on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“They have a great quarterback, and with that, he’s able to throw. He’s able to scramble. They also have a great running attack. They are a pretty versatile team that we are going to have to be on our ‘A’ game on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they’ve been tough through these first few games. We are going to have to take care of every possession when we do get it.”