Bears Can’T Complete Comeback

The first-half hole Central Valley’s football team dug for itself appeared ominous. In the end, the Bears had the Greater Spokane League’s best chance for a State 4A playoff win.

They were driving for the potential go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute remaining, only to fall 19-13 to visiting Kamiakin.

“That could have been one of the best comebacks in the history of the game,” said Bear coach Rick Giampietri.

Instead, the season is over for CV (7-3), as it is for the rest of the GSL.

Turnovers and tentative line play in the first half left CV trailing 16-0 by intermission and by the same margin through three quarters.

The Bears lost a fumble on their first series, gave up a big-play touchdown after that, and didn’t respond.

“We were just playing so afraid to make mistakes in the first half that we made a ton,” said Giampietri.

Following CV’s turnover, Kamiakin quarterback Mike Baird found wide receiver Cory Lake for a 50-yard score 3 minutes, 6 seconds into the game. Lake made a juggling catch and shook off several would-be tacklers as his team took a 7-0 lead.

Two more turnovers and a safety left CV reeling with just 17 yards of first-half offense.

After recovering a fumbled punt at its 39, Kamiakin caught the Bears defense by surprise with 29 seconds left in the half. On second and long, Ryan Hughes scored on a 29-yard draw play for Kamiakin’s final score.

“We wanted to open it up in the first half, and thought we could do some of those things,” said Kamiakin coach Craig Beverlin. “We got the big lead and in a typical case the coach gets conservative in the second half.”

By contrast, CV pulled out all the stops with fake punts, option passes and a fumblerooski to make the game interesting.

CV also went with its bread and butter, Tyree Clowe, who was stymied in the first half. Clowe shook off another blow to his injured shoulder two minutes into the second half.

In the fourth quarter, he rushed for 85 of his 118 game yards and CV’s first score.

Following a Kamiakin field goal by Lake, his first on three attempts, CV got an option pass completion of 27 yards from Tye Scott to John McFarlane.

Offensive lineman Kris White followed with a 13-yard score on the fumblerooski play CV had used for its final touchdown last year in the state championship game.

The Bears then recovered an onside kick with 2:13 remaining and drove to Kamiakin’s 23-yard line. But a hold on yet another good Clowe gain effectively thwarted the game-winning attempt.

“We were just playing too tentative,” said Giampietri. “I told them at half to have fun, go out and try to knock someone over. If they knock you over, get up and smile and say, ‘this is a great game.”’ In the end, that’s what it became.

Kamiakin 19, Central Valley 13

Kamiakin 7 9 0 3 - 19

Central Valley 0 0 0 13 - 13

K-Lake 50 pass from Baird (Lake kick) K- safety Clowe tackled in end zone K-Hughes 29 run (Lake kick) C-Clowe 1 run (pass failed) K-Lake 36 field goal C-White 13 run (Johnson kick) K C First downs 13 10 Rushes-yards 39-170 42-127 Passing yards 84 64 Return yards 27 3 Passes 3-11-1 5-12-2 Punts-avg. 3-32.7 4-32 Fumbles-lost 4-1 3-3 Penalties-yards 4-35 4-30 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING - Kamiakin: Genatone 21-89, Mengelos 8-32, Hughes 3-27, Baird 7-12. Central Valley: Clowe 29-118, White 1-13, Burnett 2-7, Rasmussen 2-7, Summers 1-minus 5, Gotfredson 7-minus 13.

PASSING - Kamiakin: Baird 2-10-1-65, Hughes 1-1-0-19. Central Valley: Gotfredson 3-11-2-37, Scott 1-2-0-27. RECEIVING - Kamiakin: Lake 2-69, Mengelos 1-15. Central Valley: McFarlane 1-27, Libey 2-25, Scott 1-12.