By Thomas Clouse, NW Preps Now
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Shadle Park’s TJ Trout got sacked, fumbled the ball and Gonzaga Prep’s Evan Weaver recovered the ball on the second play of the game.
It was that kind of night Friday for the Highlanders (1-4) as the Bullpups (5-0) rolled to a lead of 45-0 before Shadle Park got two touchdowns from a freshman quarterback to make the final score 48-14 in nonleague play between Greater Spokane League schools.
On their first official play, the Bullpups’ Ryan Gross ran a jet sweep around the left end. He broke a tackle and raced in from 22 yards. The rout was on.
“It’s good for the kids to see every guy trusting each other and them fulfilling their roles,” G-Prep coach Dave McKenna said. “I’m proud of our kids. It sure is a joy to coach them.”
Before the game was even 3 minutes old and after a Shadle Park punt, Bullpups quarterback Liam Bell found a wide-open Nick Johnson, who raced 92 yards to make the game 14-0.
“It’s an awesome feeling knowing that everyone did what they were supposed to do,” said Johnson, who added a 4-yard touchdown later in the first half. “It’s a good feeling when you are up like that.”
After a series in which the Highlanders got only their second first down of the half, G-Prep got the ball back. The Bullpups took only two plays before Mason Plese broke a couple of tackles and dove into the end zone to cap off a 42-yard run.
Mixed among all the Highlanders’ punts were a 58-yard touchdown pass from Bell to Devin Culp and a 28-yard touchdown pass from Bell to Blake Bonham.
Shadle didn’t threaten until late in the first half. Down 45-0, freshman quarterback Mason Doyle found Jacoby Ford on a fourth-and-goal pass to put the Highlanders on the board.
G-Prep made it 48-7 on a 42-yard field goal by Jared Kutsch, his second of the game. That initiated a running clock with 7:33 left in the third quarter.
But the Highlanders kept fighting and Doyle hit Ryan Wier on fourth down. Wier ran it all the way for a 37-yard touchdown with 4:39 left in the game.
“The future is pretty bright for (Doyle),” Shadle coach Jim Mace said. “He’s definitely a quarterback in the making for us.”
But the night belonged to the Bullpups, who dominated from the beginning.
“To play our first home game and run up the score like that,” Johnson said, “it’s something I will never forget.”
