Gsl Keeps Up Its Heart-Stoppers Central Valley And Mead Get Late Scores To Open Their League Seasons With Victories
Eight more weeks of this and there could be nine Greater Spokane League football coaches considering career moves.
League favorite Central Valley scored with just under 2 minutes remaining to edge Ferris 26-21 Friday night at Albi Stadium.
Defending champion Mead did the Bears one better in the second game, scoring on a fourth-down quarterback sneak with 4 seconds left to turn back Rogers 41-34.
“Not much defense but a lot of kids on both teams grew up tonight,” first-year Mead coach Bob McCray said. The game featured 753 yards of offense, including 405 rushing by the Panthers.
The Friday doubleheader, played before 5,036 fans, capped an opening week that saw all four games decided in the final 2 minutes or overtime and the difference in scoring being 1, 6, 5 and 7 points.
In non-league games, North Central lost 26-7 at Sunnyside and Mt. Spokane lost 28-14 at Coeur d’Alene.
Central Valley 26, Ferris 21
The Bears had the offense and the defense expected from the league favorites and enough miscues to keep the outcome in doubt until the end.
Tyree Clowe’s fourth touchdown with 1:24 left finally finished off the Saxons.
Clowe scored on runs of 3, 42, 2 and 4 yards and finished with 195 yards on 27 carries, many with him dishing out more punishment to the tacklers than the defenders who tried to stop him.
He carried the load after Garret Graham tweaked an ankle in the first half.
“I really didn’t expect to carry that much,” Clowe said. “Once Garret was out, I was pretty much the runner. I thought we would share the carries. I try to take the easiest possible way up the field. If it takes running through them to get there, I will.”
The Bears dominated the first half but only reached the break with a 7-7 tie. Ferris scored on the first play after the snap on a punt attempt went over Mike Tasca’s head, losing 22 yards before being downed on the 4.
The Saxons opened the third quarter throwing the ball and took a 14- 7 lead on a 7-yard pass from Andre Atkins to Tommy Servine. CV marched down the field on their next three possessions, scoring twice and losing a fumble on the Ferris 11. The Bears, who lost three fumbles, missed the PAT but had a 20-14 lead 2 minutes into the fourth quarter.
“Turnovers killed us and losing Garret Graham hurt the timing on the things we had been doing,” CV coach Rick Giampietri said. We had some kids come through … gosh, what a comeback.”
Jonathon Parker dropped a probable touchdown pass on the Saxons next possession but when they got the ball back he made up for it with a 76-yard catch-and-run. The PAT put Ferris up with 6:21 to play.
CV then started a drive on its 20 and marched to the win. The key play was an 11-yard connection from Chad Adamson to Clowe on a fourth and-6 on the Ferris 35.
After a dismal first half of one first down (on a penalty), 32 yards rushing and 10 yards passing, the Saxons finished with 158 yards through the air and 195 yards of offense. Parker caught four passes for 139 yards.
Mead 41, Rogers 34
Quarterback Brandon Mazatko pushed over from the 1 as the clock ran down, giving the Panthers touchdowns on four straight possessions to pull out the win.
Junior quarterback Brett Oglesbee, in his first start, threw three touchdown passes and ran for two others for Rogers. He threaded a 9-yard strike to senior receiver Jeff Mace, the Pirates’ QB last year, with 4:27 to play to tie the game.
But Rogers just couldn’t stop the Panthers.
Mead went 68 yards, the big play a 32-yard run by Chris McCullough, just after he was saved when teammate Nick Slind recovered his fumble in Panthers territory.
Mead had to rally from 14 down early in the third quarter.
“I wasn’t worried,” McCray said. “I knew we could move the ball. We had to stop turning it over. The other thing was they could move the ball.”
McCullough rushed for 153 yards and Keith Stamps had 136 for the Panthers. Mike Dorton ran for 138 and Oglesbee passed for 159 for the Pirates.
Sunnyside 26, North Central 7
Sunnyside used a strong running game to defeat the visiting Indians in a non-league game.
Sunnyside’s Eric Berg rushed for 79 yards and Benny Serta 68 yards.
Brett Pearson returned a blocked punt 30 yards for North Central’s only touchdown.
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