Mead, Ferris Soak Up Victories

In weather better suited for ducks, Jason Lewis and Tim Benton did just swimmingly.

Lewis, Mead’s rookie quarterback, threw a 41-yard scoring strike to Matt Sturm on the Panthers’ second play and Mead went on to open the Greater Spokane League football season with a 27-0 win over the inexperienced Rogers Pirates.

In the second game at Albi Stadium, Benton was even more spectacular, rushing for 257 yards, fourth-highest in city history, on only 13 carries (19.8 per carry) and scored four touchdowns as Ferris raced past Shadle Park 44-24. That made a winner of Clarence Hough in his head coaching debut and spoiled Mark Hester’s first game in the GSL for the Highlanders.

The games drew just 3,053 fans because of the rain and lightning.

“We haven’t practiced in the rain, but Jason threw real well in warmups,” Mead coach Mike McLaughlin said. “We thought we could throw if we needed to.”

The Panthers didn’t need to, but surprised the Pirates anyway.

“We tried to open the game up with something big,” McLaughlin said. “Matt Sturm is a weapon and Jason can get the ball down to him. We wanted to go deep before it got any wetter.”

As many yards as Benton churned up, his biggest play came on defense. The Highlanders were winning 6-0 and were prepared to punt from midfield. Instead, punter/quarterback Kris Walters threw a pass to his brother, Joe, but Benton, closing quickly, stopped Joe Walters inches shy of a first down.

“That hit, as much as his runs, got us into the game,” Hough said. “He adjusted on that himself.”

Actually, it was fourth-and-1 from the 49 when Shadle Park punted, with the ball downed inside the Ferris 20. However, the Highlanders were penalized 5 yards and had to replay the down.

“On the punt before, that guy was uncovered,” Benton said. “I had to go for it; we had somebody else deep. I just blasted him and luckily I stopped him.”

Benton’s 32-yard run four plays after his big hit started a 30-point second quarter for the Saxons.

“My line came through for me,” Benton said. “They just did their thing and I did mine. Just running straight up the field is all I had to do.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo