Cheney Picks Off Wv, 42-9

Frontier League

The tenor of Cheney’s 42-9 Frontier League football victory over short-handed West Valley was determined on the night’s first play.

Cheney linebacker Romanus Chodorowski intercepted Nick Brumback’s pass and ran it back 15 yards to the Eagles 11.

Three plays later, tight end Chodorowski caught Pat Stiffler’s 5-yard pass for the game’s first score.

“He threw it right to me,” Chodorowski said of the interception, although it could also have been said of his wide-open TD catch. “I couldn’t believe it.”

The TD pass was Chodorowski’s only offensive play of the night, although he had a big hand in a defense that frustrated WV (2-4, 0-3).

Less than 9 minutes into the game, the Blackhawks had upped their lead to 20-0. By halftime, the score was 35-0 and the Blackhawks starters would play only one more series during the night.

“It’s just a matter of being prepared,” said Chodorowski.

It didn’t help the Eagles - who gained just 64 yards against the Cheney starters - that they were missing starting running back Chris Hilsabeck and tight end Chris Sorenson because of injuries.

Still, the Blackhawks, 3-0 midway through the Frontier League double round-robin and 4-2 overall, have been dominant, outscoring three league opponents 101-28.

“It’ll be a whole different thing the second time around, you know that,” said Cheney coach Tom Oswald.

Next Friday it begins, when Cheney visits East Valley (3-3, 1-2). The Knights lost 28-27 to Clarkston (3-3, 2-1).

Cheney’s first TD came with 10:42 left in the first quarter. The second was 2 minutes later, covering 46 yards in two plays.

Next possession, Matt Fox carried five times for 58 yards and a TD with 3:23 still to play in the quarter.

Nothing happened again for either team until late in the second quarter when Stiffler found Tim Donnelly for 33 yards and later hit Laughlin out of the backfield for his second TD and the team’s fourth.

Three minutes after that, the score was 35-0 on Logan Royce’s 22-yard third-down draw.

On the night’s most electrifying run, Cheney backup Jeremy Parker burst out of a cluttered backfield and sprinted 69 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Cheney finished with 301 yards of offense to WV’s 173. WV scored against the Blackhawks reserves late in the third quarter.

Cheney 42, West Valley 9

West Valley 0 0 7 2 - 9

Cheney 20 15 0 7 - 42

W-Demke 8 run (Roberts kick) C-Chodorowski 5 Pass from Stiffler (Reynolds kick) C-Laughlin 29 run (Reynolds kick) C-Fox 22 run (kick failed) C-Laughlin 22 pass from Stiffler (Hunley run) C-Royce 27 run (Reynolds kick) C-Parker 69 run (Reynolds kick) W-Safety, Rasmussen tackled in end zone

Clarkston 28, East Valley 27

A missed extra point on the night’s final touchdown thwarted EV during its home game with the Bantams.

The Knights had led 21-6 on Brandon Blize’s 74-yard pass from Kris Allen.

But the Bantams caught up during a 42-point second-period whirlwind and went ahead on sophomore quarterback Drew Storm’s third-quarter run.

Adrian Likely scored his third touchdown, giving EV a chance to tie, but the extra-point try hooked left.

Although the Knights had a 390-287 edge in total offense, they turned the ball over five times, including three fourth-quarter interceptions.

Clarkston 0 21 7 0 - 28

East Valley 0 21 6 0 - 27

E-Likely 1 run (kick failed) C-Truscott 23 pass from Storm (kick failed) E-Likely 60 run (Ruckert run) E-Blize 74 pass from Allen (Storey kick) C-Skinner 28 run (Smith pass from Storm) C-Truscott 12 pass from Storm (Truscott kick) C-Storm 5 run (Truscott kick) E-Likely 5 run (kick failed)

, DataTimes