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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Evan Weaver powers Bullpups over Titans, to top of GSL 4A

Gonzaga Prep took the pregame hype and drop kicked it seemingly out of Spokane County.

The fourth-ranked Bullpups smothered the visiting University Titans 28-6 in a Greater Spokane League 4A football game Friday.

Gonzaga Prep’s defense essentially pitched a shutout. The Titans couldn’t sustain any drives.

It was perhaps the first of a handful of statement games to come in the GSL. The next one features the Bullpups (6-0, 2-0) at Central Valley (5-1, 2-0) next week.

“University is a very, very good team,” G-Prep coach Dave McKenna said. “So to have more points on the scoreboard at the end is a great thing.”

Senior defensive end and situational fullback Evan Weaver was rushed into full-time duty on both sides of the ball when fullback Mason Plese had emergency appendectomy surgery Sunday.

Like the workhorse he is, the University of California-bound Weaver finished with 119 yards rushing on 19 carries and two touchdowns.

Weaver welcomed the extra duty.

“It was time to step up,” Weaver said. “The coaches told me that I’d be starting (on offense) and I just wanted to prove to everybody that I could do it. The (line) made holes and I just took the ball and ran it.”

McKenna applauded Weaver’s versatility.

“Again it’s not about one,” McKenna said. “It’s about the whole team. Up front we blocked well. It was a quick turnaround with having Mason out. So Evan did some things and Liam (Bell) threw the ball well.”

G-Prep decidedly dominated action in the first half, piling up 221 yards total offense to the Titans’ 71. But the Bullpups only led 14-6 at halftime.

The Bullpups took the opening kick and marched 66 yards on 12 plays with Weaver, who carried six times during the drive, plunging 1 yard for a touchdown.

However two lost fumbles by Bell kept U-Hi (5-1, 1-1) in striking distance.

After the second fumble, U-Hi took over at G-Prep’s 10-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Logan O’Neil, scrambling, found Tre’von Tuggles wide open in the flat for a 10-yard touchdown connection to cut the Bullpups lead to 7-6.

Bell had most of G-Prep’s yards in the first half. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 84 yards and rushed 13 times for 63.

McKenna told his team they still have much to clean up.

“You saw how many penalties there were on both sides of the football,” he said. “We’ve got to clear those things up. And we had a couple of turnovers.”

McKenna said his team can control its own destiny.

“But so can our opponent next week,” he said. “They’re in the same boat. But it’s about us and what we do.”

G-Prep salted the game away with two TDs in the second half. The Bullpups finished with 387 yards total offense to U-Hi’s 152.

Weaver said he wasn’t any more exhausted afterward than other games.

“Actually, I think I feel more exhausted when I play just defense,” he said. “It’s something weird.”

The Titans committed several big penalties, finishing with 12 for 125 yards.

U-Hi takes on Lewis and Clark (3-3, 0-2) next week.