Wherever Parsons Goes, Gorillas Sure To Follow

Football

The first time Tekoa-Oakesdale played Davenport this season was the third start of T-O sophomore quarterback John Wall’s career.

His counterpart, the Gorillas’ Marty Parsons, had at least 20 more starts under his belt.

The result was predictable. Wall threw his first of five interceptions on his initial pass - a screen - as Davenport zipped to a 21-0 lead and won 49-14.

“That was one of our best offensive games of the year,” said Parsons, a senior who is preparing for Friday’s State B-11 quarterfinal against Wall and the Nighthawks. “I’m sure (T-O has) improved quite a bit.”

So has Parsons during a tenure that stretches back to his freshman year, when he made one start and played extensively in three or four games.

Parsons has run the show exclusively his last three years. During that time he has added 30 pounds to his 5-foot-11 frame (up to 175) and has been called upon more and more.

“My sophomore year we threw about 60 times,” Parsons said. “Last year that probably doubled, and we’ve thrown even more this year.”

As Parsons goes, so may go the Gorillas. One of his worst games came against Reardan, the lone team to beat Davenport this year.

“Actually I don’t think it hurt us to lose,” said Parsons, who has thrown for 1,150 yards and 15 touchdowns. “We needed to know that we were beatable.”

Pretty hard to beat, however, when it comes to experience behind center.

B-11 quarterfinal

Davenport (9-1) vs. T-O (9-1) at Medical Lake, 4 p.m Friday: The third-ranked Gorillas aren’t counting on another easy game. “We got up on them so fast it was just out of control,” Davenport coach Skip Pauls said of the Sept. 23 non-leaguer. “I don’t perceive something like that happening again.”

“They did pretty much embarrass us,” said coach Marv Wigen of fifth-ranked T-O. “Our kids are thinking of it not as a revenge thing, but a pride thing.”

Gorillas junior Josh FitzPatrick has rushed for 1,200 yards and is a defensive leader with Tyson Deal and Luke Hammond. For the Nighthawks senior Nathan Perrins has 1,400 yards on 255 carries, and Wall has thrown for 12 TDs and nearly 1,100 yards - mainly to senior Tim Freeburg.

Class A quarterfinal

Chewelah (10-0) vs. Royal (10-0) at Kennewick, 5:30 p.m. Saturday: It’s a homecoming for coach Roy Albertson of fourth-ranked Chewelah. The first-year Cougars coach spent 17 years as an assistant at Kennewick.

Chewelah’s offense and defense are modeled after Kennewick’s. Senior fullback Greg Belzer, who has 700 yards and 15 TDs, is also the leading tackler. Junior Cody Katzer is close to eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing and averages more than 8 yards per carry.

The top-ranked Knights, state runners-up last year, are led by quarterback/free safety Derek Allred. The senior, who is also the team’s leading rusher, has passed for 16 TDS with just one interception. His main target is cousin Bryan Allred.

“We have to hit (Derek) on every play and wear him down,” Albertson said. “On offense, they run several formations so it’s really tough to prepare for them.”

Class B-8 quarterfinals

Odessa (6-3) vs. Touchet (9-0) at Dayton, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Second-ranked Touchet begins its state-title defense against a team it beat 42-32 during a Sept. 9 season-opener.

Senior RBs Tom Ewing and A.J. Trejo and senior QB Mike Adams were instrumental in last year’s Kingbowl win over Pateros. Junior RB Lance Meise has rushed for 13 TDs and close to 800 yards, while junior QB Randy Carlson has eclipsed 1,400 passing yards for the Tigers.

LaCrosse-Washtucna (7-2) vs. Pateros (9-0) at East Wenatchee, 1:30 p.m. Saturday: The top-ranked Billygoats edged L-W 36-30 in last year’s quarterfinals. Back for Pateros are highquality seniors: QB Patrick Hunter, RBs Shaun Moore and John Neuneker, and receiver Garrett Zwar.

The fifth-ranked Tigercats’ junior connection is Jeremy Daniel to Casey Rouleau. Senior Joe Kinch is an able receiver out of the backfield.

St. John-Endicott (5-4) vs. Inchelium (7-1) at Medical Lake, 7:30 p.m. Friday: In another season-opener, fourth-ranked Inchelium stormed the Eagles 34-6.

“It was a lot closer than the score indicated,” said Inchelium coach Ron Washington. “They had a lot of turnovers. We’re expecting a tough game from them.”

“We have to establish the running game a little bit better,” said coach Dick Behrens, whose Eagles have won three straight. “That’s what has helped us the last few games.”

Junior Casey Finley has rushed for 800 yards and junior Galen Desautel has 88 tackles for the Hornets. For SJE, senior Joe Gering has rushed for 1,700 yards and senior Zach Hergert, the leading rusher the previous two years, has added 800 after a slow start.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo