Mead Blanks Bears Muzatko, Thomas Come Up Big In Win

The heavyweight battle was decided by the lightweights.

Mead and Central Valley slugged it out in the trenches at Albi Stadium Friday night, neutralizing each other’s strength, before critical mistakes by the younger Bears piled up and the Panthers pulled away for a 17-0 win.

Brandon Muzatko, in his first varsity start, threw two touchdown passes and 170-pound Evan Thomas, who turned a screen pass into the clinching 61-yard score, intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble as the Panthers made sure the Bears will not defend their Greater Spokane League title.

In the first game of the doubleheader, which drew 5,780, North Central beat Rogers 16-7. In a non-league game in Tacoma, Gonzaga Prep lost 32-21 to Clover Park. “We always like to think we can get a shutout,” Mead defensive line coach Larry Stranahan said, “but basically we went in and hoped for mistakes and tried not to beat ourselves.”

CV did the opposite, turning the ball over four times.

“I happened to be in the right spot at the right time,” Thomas said. “I was just trying to do whatever I could to help us win. The touchdown was more fun, I haven’t (played offense) all that much, just this year to tell you the truth.”

The Panthers scored 3 seconds before the half as Muzatko completed three straight passes from the CV 49, the last a 9-yard fade to Jon Wells near the left side of the end zone. On its first possession of the second half, Mead went 57 yards on 10 plays before Keith Stamps kicked a 37-yard field goal.

CV’s next two possessions were wiped out by Thomas’ second interception and his fumble recovery.

A 13-yard run by the Bears would have put the ball on the Mead 17 early in the fourth quarter with the Panthers up just 10-0, but the ball popped loose from Tyree Clowe.

“I fell over the top (of the pile) and the ball was there,” Thomas said. “One guy had his arm around it but I just grabbed it and curled up.”

Then Thomas sealed the game by taking a middle screen, breaking two tackles and racing 61 yards to the end zone.

“Basically it was a middle screen,” Thomas said. “I saw a hole and got good blocking. Nothing too fancy. I loved it.”

Mead coach Mike McLaughlin deferred to Stranahan, whose team held CV to two first downs in the first half.

“We concentrated on reading the blocks … and hopefully cutting down the vertical seams,” Stranahan said.

With Evans playing center field, it worked as CV rushed for 161 yards but only completed 9 of 23 passes.”

The first game was also decided by defense.

Afterwards, Brandon Harmer wasn’t talking of the details of NC’s game-winning play, which started with Rogers facing a first-and-10 on its own 8.

All Harmer knew was there was an opening and he shot through it, meeting Rogers quarterback Jeff Mace in a violent collison. The ball popped loose and bounced into the end zone with David Sandberg falling on it for the game-winning touchdown.

“There (weren’t enough linemen), I didn’t know if it was a trick play,” the 210-pound lineman said. “Then Jimmy Lake fell on the ball.”

Questioned about the recovery, Harmer added, “Who cares? We won!”

Rogers coach Dave Pomante said: “Somebody missed a block. NC teams always play hard … . They deserve what they got, the W.”

It was the perfect play to define the defensive struggle. Rogers had 197 yards of total offense and NC had 147.

“Our defense came to play,” NC coach Wes Hobbs said. “They made some key turnovers for us. Cody Smith came out and popped some big ones.”

Smith turned a first-possession Rogers’ fumble into a 46-yard field goal, added another one on NC’s second possession and then kicked a third late in the half for a 9-7 Indians’ lead.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 color)