Prep Overruns Mead

GSL football

The new Gonzaga Prep put Mead in a hole, the old Gonzaga Prep buried the Panthers.

Derek Pegg threw two first-half touchdown passes then engineered a clock-draining fourth-quarter scoring drive to lift the Bullpups past Mead 21-7 Thursday night at Albi Stadium.

In the first game of doubleheader, which drew a crowd of 3,990, Ferris rolled past Shadle Park 42-14.

Prep, last in the Greater Spokane League in rushing, put together a 16-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up 7 minutes, 59 seconds of the fourth quarter. Sophomore Bruce Hart, who carried 14 times on the drive, bulled 3 yards for the clinching touchdown with 2:43 remaining.

“They moved the chains, we didn’t,” said Mead coach Bob McCray, whose team is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. “That surprised us. They kept the ball. That’s what you want to do. They did a good job.”

The Bullpups converted four third downs on the drive, including the touchdown. Pegg’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Matty McIntyre on the first play of the second quarter was on third-and-10 and the ensuing 12-yard TD pass to tight end Adam Frankovich was on fourth down.

“We’re always in (third-and-long), more than we like to be,” Pegg said, “but making them is sweet.”

Prep coach Dave Carson said, “Against a good football team, you’re going to be in third-and-long and third-and-medium.”

Prep (3-2) won its third straight, Mead (2-3) lost its third straight.

The Bullpups defense got an early wakeup call when Dan Stucky went left on a reverse and cut back completely across the field for a 64-yard touchdown on Mead’s first play. A clip nullified the touchdown and the Gonzaga Prep defense held.

Prep had its second three-and-out before starting a 10-play, 67-yard drive that produced McIntyre’s TD. The Pups overcame a holding penalty for that score.

Mead just missed a 42-yard field goal on its next possession, and the Bullpups marched right back with an 80-yard, 10-play drive. Pegg hit Frankovich for 26 yards and Kelvin Bacon for 17 before the TD.

Pegg finished with 13 completions in 23 attempts for 202 yards.

But the last drive was all Hart, generously listed at 165 pounds. Pegg connected with Nick Shrope for 14 yards twice, but a nice scramble was wiped out by a 13-yard holding penalty. The rest was Hart, who helped erase the penalty with 13 yards on a draw. Hart finished with 141 yards, 98 in the second half, 65 on the drive.

“The offensive line blocked well,” Pegg said. “We played with a lot of heart after our first two losses. Usually we start off kind of slow but once we make that first score, we find our heart. We’re not going to lose.”

Ferris 42, Shadle Park 14

The Saxons (3-2) dominated the Highlanders (0-5), taking advantage of four first-half fumbles to open a 35-0 lead.

Shadle Park had only 9 yards rushing in the first half while the Saxons rolled up 218. Nick Bozo had 124 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown at the half, along with one receiving touchdown. Mike Robinson had 70 yards and three TDs at half.

Bozo finished with 153 yards and Robinson 99.