Titans turn back Rogers

University weathered an early dry spell. Then came the deluge. Five touchdowns by the Titans (2-3) covering a 7-minute span Friday night began midway through the second quarter to put away the game, beating short-handed Rogers (0-5) 49-20 at U-Hi. Four of University’s scores struck like lightning, Three of University’s scores covered 55 yards or longer through the air. A fourth was three covering 55 yards or longer through the air and the fourth a 67-yard run off a fake punt. Quarterback Jeff Beaty passed had a productive night, passing for 368 yards and four TDs. Nathan Hundeby, a slow starter in this year’s new offense, had his best game of the Greater Spokane League season, catching seven passes for 197 yards (more than doubling his season total) and scoring touchdowns of 9, 55 and 61 yards. “It was a rough start coming out first,” he said, “but then later on they started looking at me and I started getting the ball. Beaty threw fantastic. He was perfect in the pocket and threw great footballs right in the breadbasket.” The Pirates were without several starters, including GSL rushing leader Luke Rogers and his veteran counterpart Anthony Hampton. But early in the second quarter, Dominic Sanders connected with Keifer Smith on a fourth-down, 30-yard TD and two-point conversion 12 seconds into the second quarter. That’s how it stood until Beaty hit all-purpose sophomore Garrett Schmerer on a 37-yard pass that set up the first score of the barrage. By halftime it was 28-8, 42 seconds into the third quarter it was 35-8. Trevor Martin scored on the 67-yard run and a 60-yard pass reception for the other touchdowns. Titans coach Rob Bartlett said that losing Rogers was a blow to the Pirates, but he lauded their effort. “Rogers brought a lot of heat and we were not sure what to do against what they were doing defensively. They brought six or seven guys all night and we had to get the ball out on the perimeter and make guys miss.” That meant getting the ball to Hundeby and company in a game of big plays.