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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Jalen Hicks, Ferris hang on to outlast University

U-Hi’s Bryce Williamson, left, tries to elude Ferris’ James Mann. Williamson ran for five touchdowns. (Jesse Tinsley)

On his own initiative, Jalen Hicks carried a football to every class at school this week.

This after the Ferris senior running back fumbled twice last week.

Hicks found his focus and, just as important, found the end zone five times as the Saxons held off the University Titans 45-36 in a Greater Spokane League 4A opener Thursday at Albi Stadium.

The tactic worked so well for Hicks this week that he plans to do the same next week.

Hicks finished with 313 yards on 22 attempts.

“Every day, every class,” Hicks said of toting the football around at school. “We had a big week in practice. Our team really came together, we found focus and we built as a team. We just blocked perfectly to be honest. They worked so hard up front.”

The Saxons’ receivers were particularly on point on the outside zone runs and sweeps.

It was a back-and-forth game as the Saxons had to do all they could to withstand the Titans in a game much closer than the final score indicates.

U-Hi (2-1 overall) moved up and down the field behind junior running back Bryce Williamson, a one-man battering ram. He scored his fifth touchdown to give the Titans their last lead at 36-32 with 7:20 remaining.

Ferris (1-2) answered moments later when Hicks scored his fourth TD of 56 yards or longer, this one covering 59, as the Saxons regained the lead at 39-36 with 5:17 to go.

The Saxons’ best defensive stop came on the Titans’ next series. Ferris forced U-Hi to punt, but the kick hit into some linemen and the Saxons recovered at the U-Hi 19-yard line.

A Ferris TD was called back when Tim Kirby was called for pass interference in the end zone. Then on fourth-and-19 at the 23, quarterback Mitch Pike found Aaron Beaulaurier open in the middle for 20-yard gain.

That gave the Saxons first-and-goal at the 3. On fourth-and-goal, Hicks scored his final touchdown.

Williamson finished with 235 yards on 34 carries.

Normally a two-way starter, Hicks was replaced on defense.

“They don’t need me,” he said. “We’ve got guys.”

Ferris coach Jim Sharkey was encouraged after watching Coeur d’Alene handle his team 31-7 last week.

“It was huge to come back and find a way to win,” Sharkey said. “Our kids made a stop when we needed to at the end. We really struggled defensively. I thought the second half we were a little bit better in our scheme. We found a way to win in the end and that’s just huge.”

The teams combined for seven TDs in the first half.

Hicks, starting on just offense for the first time, rushed nine times for 153 yards in the first two quarters including touchdown runs of 58 and 56 yards in which he wasn’t touched.

Williamson was a workhorse in the first half with 21 carries for 160 yards and three touchdowns.

The Saxons scored their third touchdown of the first half when Hicks took another handoff out of the double wing and dashed 56 yards, putting Ferris ahead 18-6.

U-Hi scored two straight touchdowns, both Williamson scores, for a 22-18 lead with 7:28 to go in the first half.

Ferris scored the last touchdown of the first half when Pike dashed 8 yards around left end for a 25-22 lead.