Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

SportsLink

G-Prep runs over Lake City

Gonzaga Prep rolled to a 42-12 win over Lake City in which talented running back Bishop Sankey rushed for 243 yards before being ejected early in the third quarter for allegedly throwing  a punch.

Click the tab below to read my unedited story.

By Greg Lee

Staff writer

What took Gonzaga Prep running back Bishop Sankey four quarters to accomplish the last three games the junior was able to achieve in less than a half.

Sankey went over 200 yards for a fourth consecutive game as the visiting Bullpups cruised past the Lake City Timberwolves 42-12 in a non-league game Friday.

The Bullpup had 209 yards with 1 minute, 50 seconds remaining in the first half. And he appeared to be well on his way to perhaps 300 when poor judgment got the best of him. Sankey was ejected after G-Prep’s fifth play of the third quarter when he allegedly threw a punch. Bullpups coach Dave McKenna was going to consult with the referees before leaving LC to determine if that’s exactly what they saw.

If the referees confirm the punch, it means that by rule Sankey would have to sit out the Bullpups’ game next Friday against Rogers.

“I’m going to go talk to them. They weren’t real clear on it,” McKenna said. “If it was a punch, then he shouldn’t be doing it.”

Sankey had three touchdowns on runs of 44, 1 and 42 yards. He finished with a season-high 243 yards on 19 carries when he left the game with 7 minutes left in the third quarter.

“He’s pretty good, but the guys in front of him make him great,” McKenna said.

The Bullpups (3-1) needed just six minutes to score three TDs in the first quarter.

“The first three drives we go down and do exactly what we practiced all week,” McKenna said.

For LC (0-4), coach Van Troxel didn’t have to change up his halftime speech from the first three games. For the fourth straight game they found themselves in a deep hole, trailing 28-0.

While certainly the Bullpups had a lot to do with LC’s poor play initially, the T-Wolves contributed mightily as well.

Troxel’s postgame talk with his team and reporters also carried a familiar theme.

“This football team has to decide whether it wants to be a football team,” he said. “They’re a great bunch of young men, but right now we’re not very good football players. If we’re going to make a change … they have to make a commitment to being a better football team.”

G-Prep did no wrong in building the 28-0 lead. The Bullpups’ lone concern was when starting quarterback Shane Schmidlkofer appeared to bruise his right elbow early in the second quarter. At that point, he had rushed for 74 yard five attempts.

He didn’t return. But sophomore backup Conner Johnson responded, directing the Bullpups’ option attack. He picked up 131 yards on 15 carries.

The only thing that disappointed McKenna were turnovers. G-Prep had seven fumbles, five of which they lost.

G-Prep had 378 yards total offense in the first half, 305 coming on the ground. The Bullpups finished with 543, 470 on the ground.

LC’s defense played better as the game progressed, but the offense sputtered throughout. The T-Wolves open league play next Friday when they play host to Post Falls.



Greg Lee
Greg Lee joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a prep reporter covering Eastern Washington and North Idaho schools.

Follow Greg online:






Looking for a Grip on Sports?

Vince Grippi's daily take on all things regional sports has been moved to our main sports section online. You can find a collection of these columns here.