G-Prep gets first win, handles Ferris 38-10

Winning can cure what ails a football team.

Just ask Gonzaga Prep.

The Bullpups wiped away the frustration of a 0-2 start with a convincing 38-10 win over Ferris in a 4A Greater Spokane League game Thursday at Albi Stadium.

It was a game the Bullpups desperately needed after back-to-back losses to open the season. G-Prep had moments in a 21-7 loss at two-time State 3A champion Eastside Catholic and showed some improvement last week in a home loss to Skyline, 26-23 in triple overtime.

“Our kids grew up tonight,” G-Prep coach Dave McKenna said. “We still have some things to fix.”

Ferris (0-3) impressed on the game’s first possession. The Saxons marched 57 yards to the Bullpups’ 8-yard before settling for a Braden Brock 25-yard field goal.

It was all G-Prep after that, though. Ryan Gross had touchdown passes to Devin Culp and Sam Lockett and Seth Kuykendall kicked a 25-yard field goal, allowing the Bullpups to take a 24-3 lead into halftime.

The game featured the emergence of G-Prep sophomore running back Connor Haninan, who gained 174 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. In the first half he had 109 on six attempts filling in for starter Kasey Anthony, who felt tight after picking up 51 yards on 11 carries.

“We have some kids on that side (offense),” McKenna said. “But it starts up front on both sides of the ball.”

Lockett is likely to see two-way action in games where G-Prep expects to be tested. Still, he had four receptions for 46 yards.

“I love playing both ways,” Lockett said. “Whatever my coaches ask me to do I’m going to do.”

G-Prep built its 24-3 lead in the first half by piling up 304 yards total offense. The Bullpups finished with 441.

Any hopes the Saxons had of staying close disappeared early in the second half. G-Prep took the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards on 13 plays. Another sophomore, 6-foot-7 basketball standout Anton Watson, hauled in a 13-yard TD pass to extend the lead to 31-3.

An interception by Michael Pablo set up G-Prep’s final score. Five plays later, Haninan dashed 30 yards to make it 38-3 with 8:47 remaining.

Ferris added a late TD.

McKenna was pleased to see the Bullpups put points on the scoreboard.

He had particular praise for first-year starter Gross, a starter last year at wide receiver.

“The game is starting to slow down a little bit for him, which is great,” McKenna said.

McKenna also praised Ferris.

“They’re good,” McKenna said. “They gave us their shot. They were coming off a short week, too.”

The Bullpups have a slogan that says awesome can’t be attained without adversity.

“We’ve practiced very well,” McKenna said. “Maybe it didn’t show on the field the first two weeks but we were playing two very good opponents. We talk about adversity and how do you respond. Awesome isn’t easy. There’s no awesome without adversity according to one of our heroes, Steve Gleason.”