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

Undefeated Lewis and Clark’s offense overwhelms Rogers

By Dan Thompson For The Spokesman-Review

At times methodical and often explosive, Lewis and Clark’s offense illustrated again Friday that the Tigers might just have something special this season.

After the past few years, when the Tigers weren’t able to put together this kind of early-season success, senior Xavier Guillory sure is enjoying this run.

“We don’t have a limit. We’re so hungry from the years before,” Guillory said. “We just have this momentum that’s definitely special.”

Led by junior running back Keani Guthmueller’s three touchdowns, LC overwhelmed Rogers 42-10 on Friday at Albi Stadium to remain unbeaten.

The Tigers (5-0) scored touchdowns on five of their first six possessions – fumbling into Rogers’ end zone on the one failed drive – to put the game out of reach by halftime.

Guthmueller ran for 163 yards on nine carries, including a dazzling 52-yard scamper from one sideline to the end zone on the other. Rogers (0-5) struggled to tackle him – or sometimes even get a hand on him – all evening.

“Keani’s very fast, and he’s got really good hips,” LC head coach Dave Hughes said. “That’s a good combination for a running back.”

LC senior quarterback Michael Flaherty played only a handful of drives and made the most of them, rushing for 123 yards and two scores. He finished 6 of 7 through the air for 63 yards.

Backup quarterback Jace Parbon, a sophomore, led two scoring drives in the second quarter, capping one with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Guillory.

“This year, we don’t really care who scores as long as we’re scoring,” Guillory said.

Guillory finished with four receptions for 47 yards and the touchdown, which gave LC a 36-0 lead with 4:24 left to go in the first half.

Guillory also had an interception on Rogers’ opening drive.

Rogers got on the board late in the second quarter when Casey Jeske found Adam Perry on a crossing route through the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. The Pirates converted the 2-point conversion on a one-handed grab in the corner by senior Daunte DeMarce.

But even after that they were still behind 36-8, and LC rotated out many starters during the second half.

Rogers, unable to move the ball consistently through the air, fed the ball to senior running back Tre Phillips. He found holes but was never able to break loose. He finished with 25 carries for 63 yards.

“I thought Tre Phillips played really hard and really tested our defense,” Hughes said. “My hat’s off to the Pirates tonight. They played hard.”

On LC’s opening drive of the second half, Guthmueller scored his third touchdown to make it 42-8. Rogers answered with a methodical, Phillips-heavy drive that chewed up nearly 7 minutes.

But the Pirates stalled after 13 plays and had a 48-yard field-goal attempt blocked. That was as close as Rogers got to scoring again on offense, although on the subsequent LC drive the Pirates tackled Guthmueller in his end zone for a safety to make the score 42-10.

Both teams return to play Thursday in a doubleheader at Albi. Rogers plays Ferris in the early game, followed by North Central versus Lewis and Clark.