Shadle Stuns Lc, Wins 35-16

Three years is a lifetime in high school, so the 9 minutes of pounding seemed like a heartbeat.

The Shadle Park Highlanders used a shocking 98-yard return of a missed 45-yard field-goal try and followed it up with a dominating drive to shock Lewis and Clark 35-16 at Albi Stadium Friday night.

“We’ve been waiting for three years for this game,” senior center Russ Seaman said. “We were fired up, ready to go. We knew we could play with them.”

Shadle’s third Greater Spokane League win gave the Highlanders one more than they had the previous two years combined and came against a quality opponent instead of in a battle for the basement.

In the first game of the doubleheader, which drew 3,057, Gonzaga Prep edged University 17-16 when U-Hi receiver Joe Jeffries was ruled out of bounds on a two-point conversion try with 2:37 left.

Shadle Park used Shawn Kingsbury’s 98-yard return to shock LC 5 minutes into the third quarter and then buried the Tigers with the 18-play, 92-yard drive that chewed up 8:42 and produced a 28-10 lead with 8:31 left in the game.

“We just ran our basic plays,” Seaman said. “They lined up in a basic set we could run against. We just got 4 or 5 yards a play.”

The result was surprising considering the Highlanders went three-and-out to open the game and then LC quarterback Paul Mencke rolled left and hit Mike Lynch streaking down the left sideline for a 60-yard touchdown pass on the Tigers’ first play.

“Our offensive line was great, the backs ran well, we had great fakes,” Highlanders coach Mark Hester said. “The defense played real well. We gave them that six right off, but after that … it was a total team effort. It was our best game of the year, no doubt.”

There was plenty of doubt in the outcome of the first game.

After Prep got off to a quick 14-0 lead, the game came down to University’s last drive and last play. The Titans went 65 yards in 11 plays, overcame a holding penalty, and scored on Tim Buchanan’s 1-yard plunge over right tackle.

“We wanted to go for the win; we had nothing to lose,” University coach Mike Ganey said.

So Casey Cornelius dropped back and lofted the ball to the right corner. Jeffries beat the defensive back to the corner for the catch, but as one referee started to raise his arms to signal a score, another waved it off.

, DataTimes