Mt. Spokane rambles past Rogers, earns playoff berth

Mt. Spokane outgained Rogers by 222 yards and clinched a play-in berth for State 3A football with a 41-13 victory at Albi Stadium on Thursday evening.

With senior quarterback Stu Stiles getting a rest, the Wildcats (7-2) were led by junior Matt Pulliam.

“He had a big game last week, he was tired,” Mt. Spokane head coach Mike McLaughlin said about Stiles after the game.

Pulliam managed the Wildcats’ offense well, only turning the ball over once, as he rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown and passed for another 33.

Mt. Spokane started its first two possessions in Pirate waters and made Rogers (0-9) pay with two quick first-quarter scores.

Pulliam ran 12 yards untouched up the middle for the first score. Pulliam found Mike Schupp on a screen pass from 13 yards out for the second score.

The Pirates took advantage of starting off at the Mt. Spokane 40 and drove downfield to score on a Mads Tranberg 29-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Rogers pinned the Wildcats down on their 1-yard line, only to watch Mt. Spokane drive 99 yards. Pulliam had a 44-yard scamper and Reed Siclair ran for 23 yards on four carries, including the 1-yard score with 4:34 left in the half.

On the ensuing drive, Marcus Phillips picked off Pulliam and returned it to the Mt. Spokane 1. But the Pirates were stopped on three runs and Tranberg kicked a field goal for a 20-6 score with 12 seconds left in the half.

The Wildcats added 21 points in the third quarter on Schupp’s 10-yard run, Carlos Riojas’ 7-yard run and a 22-yard interception return by Dalton Dixon.

Rogers’ Nick Challinor scored on a 25-yard run late in the game.