Mt. Spokane turns to ground game to top NC

Mt. Spokane survived two early interceptions with two picks of their own to hold North Central scoreless in the first half and win 33-7 in a Greater Spokane League 3A opener at Joe Albi Stadium on Friday night.

“The defense has played well all year and it continued to do so tonight,” Mt. Spokane head coach Terry Cloer said. “It kept us in the game when our offense was sputtering a little bit.”

Despite the Wildcats’ (5-2, 1-0) slow start, they managed to score on a 28-yard Tucker Jones field goal and a 16-yard Matt Pulliam touchdown run in a span of 21 seconds late in the first quarter for a 10-0 lead.

The lead reached 12-0 when the Indians (1-6, 0-1) had a high snap from their 9 roll out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

Dakota Hipes, Roy Hyatt and Mike Schupp got Mt. Spokane’s ground game going in the second half after the offense switched from its usual shotgun formation to an offset power-I.

Hipes, Pulliam and Schupp each scored a rushing touchdown in the second half.

“We wanted to put a body on a body and get physical with them and pound the ball a little bit,” Wildcats head coach Terry Cloer said about the halftime switch.

Schupp led the team with 10 carries for 79 yards, while Hipes and Hyatt added a combined 103 yards.

Pulliam finished with 181 total yards.

North Central’s Khanian Charlton rushed for 109.

Backup quarterback Shane Pethers ran in from 12 yards out for a touchdown with 6 seconds left in the game for the Indians’ score.