No Foolin’, Cheney Pulls One Out
Frontier League
East Valley was counting on the element of surprise when it went to the air with 3:13 remaining in a tie Frontier League game with unbeaten Cheney.
There was nothing surprising about the resulting interception, however, which set up the Blackhawks’ winning touchdown in a 21-14 triumph.
The Knights (3-4, 1-3) had five passes picked off and Cheney (5-2, 4-0) lost two in a turnover-filled game at EV.
Most came off deflections, including the one Blackhawk Romanus Chodorowski grabbed and returned 36 yards to EV’s 34. Three plays later, Pat Laughlin ran virtually untouched the final 8 yards with 1:52 remaining for his second TD.
“We got lucky,” said Cheney coach Tom Oswald. He credited the interception to safety Matt Conrath, who jarred the pass in Chodorowski’s direction.
“If Matt doesn’t make the hit and deflect the ball,” said Oswald, “we’re not in a position to score.”
Like their first meeting, EV scored first, needing just 32 yards, thanks to tough defense. Cheney drove 73 yards to tie on a deflected pass.
Knight defender Adrian Likely got his hands on Pat Stiffler’s 27-yard throw, but it ricocheted to Joel Warren, who was falling to his back in the end zone.
Cheney added another score following the first of two first-half fumble recoveries.
A classic 8-minute, 80-yard drive by the Knights, all on the ground save for quarterback Kris Allen’s only pass completion of the game, tied the score in the third quarter. Likely had both EV TDs.
Thereafter, the teams pounded on each other with ferocious defense.
The difference in a game in which EV had seven turnovers and Cheney five was the Blackhawks’ ability to pass. Stiffler completed 6 of 13 for 114 yards. EV was 1 of 15 for 5.
Cheney 21, East Valley 14
Cheney 0 14 0 7 - 21
East Valley 7 0 7 0 - 14
E-Likely 1 run (Sitton kick)
C-Warren 27 pass from Stiffler (Reynolds kick)
C-Laughlin 7 run (Reynolds kick)
E-Likely 5 run (Sitton kick)
C-Laughlin 8 run (Reynolds kick)
Clarkston 15, WV 14
The Bantams completed a swift 98-yard drive and made a two-point conversion with 1:12 remaining to stave off an upset.
It kept Clarkston (4-3, 3-1) right behind Cheney with two games remaining.
West Valley (2-5, 0-4) lead 14-7 in the second quarter. Chris Hilsabeck ran 10 yards for one and Brad Groh caught a 25-yard pass from Nick Brumback for the other.
That’s how it stood until reserve quarterback Zack Blankenship hit Ben Truscott for a 21-yard TD and the decisive extra points.
Blankenship replaced starter Drew Storm, who broke his collarbone, and completed 7 of 14 passes for 132 yards.
West Valley 0 14 0 0 - 14
Clarkston 7 0 0 8 - 15
C-Skinner 2 run (Blankenship kick)
W-Hilsabeck 10 run (Roberts kick)
W-Groh 25 pass from Brumback (Roberts kick)
C-Truscott 21 pass from Blankenship (Truscott pass from Blankenship)
, DataTimes