It’S Memorable Night For Mt. Spokane, Lc’S Flatt

GSL

There’s no question the Mt. Spokane and North Central football teams have offense they combined for 1,144 yards of it Friday night.

The Wildcats amassed 585 total yards in an impressive 48-27 win in their Greater Spokane League football debut at Albi Stadium.

The defense surfaced in the second game of the triple-header, which drew 7,675 fans, as Lewis and Clark defeated Gonzaga Prep 7-0.

University scored four times in the first half on the way to a 37-8 victory over Shadle Park in the final game.

Mt. Spokane coach Mike McLaughlin said Friday’s game is one his players won’t forget.

“It was huge,” McLaughlin said of the Cats’ first GSL win. “Athletics are about memories. This is a memory they will have the rest of their lives.”

LC senior Pete Flatt made a memory Friday night, too, scoring the late-game touchdown that led the Tigers to only their third season-opening win this decade. The LC victory avenged a 13-7 loss to the Bullpups in the 1997 opener, in which G-Prep scored the winning touchdown with 27 seconds to go.

“That was a bitter defeat for them,” G-Prep assistant Brad Meyers said. “Any time you lose like that it’s in the back of your mind to carry over for the next season.”

LC 7, Gonzaga Prep 0

Flatt scored on a 6-yard run with 8:21 left en route to a team-leading 78 rushing yards. Flatt also blocked a first-half field-goal try by Eric Byrd, who also missed on a 41-yarder early in the first quarter.

And Flatt’s coverage of Bullpups receiver Kelvin Bacon on a fourth-and-16 play from the 39-yard line made for an incomplete pass in the final minutes to help secure the win.

“Our defense held it well,” Flatt said. “We had a few too many penalties. We tend to have problems the first game of a season.”

LC was slapped with five penalties for 43 yards.

“Both teams made mistakes and had lots of opportunities,” LC coach John Hook said. “I felt we were able to establish a rhythm in the second half and G-Prep wasn’t able to.”

Hook lauded defensive end Zach Bankston, who recorded a key sack that pushed the Bullpups back to set up the long fourth down.

LC had a chance to score midway through the third quarter, but failed to capitalize after it moved inside the 20-yard line. On third down from the 10, Tigers quarterback Billy Etter attempted a pass to Colin Shields in the end zone, but Shields was swarmed by defenders and the Bullpups’ Garth Erickson knocked away the ball.

On fourth down, Flatt had his 27-yard field-goal try blocked by Mat McIntyre.

The Bullpups were held scoreless just once in 1997, in a 10-0 loss to Kamiakin in the state playoffs.

They were held to 162 offensive yards Friday, 85 on the ground.

“Obviously, it’s a tough loss,” Meyers said. “The first game is always a hard one to get over because there are so many mistakes.”

Gonzaga Prep 0 0 0 0 - 0

Lewis and Clark 0 0 0 7 - 7

L-Flatt 6 run (Winner kick)

G L First downs 6 15 Rushes-yards 28-85 46-196 Passing yards 77 3 Return yards 29 10 Passes 4-14-2 1-7-1 Punts-avg. 3-35 5-36.2 Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-0 Penalties-yards 4-30 5-43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Gonzaga Prep: Hart 14-44, McIntyre 6-23, Pegg 7-16, Brucick 1-2. Lewis and Clark: Flatt 15-78, Coleman 11-61, Spurgetis 13-53, Etter 7-4.

PASSING - Gonzaga Prep: Pegg 4-14-2-77. Lewis and Clark: Lockridge 1-4-0-3, Etter 0-3-1-0.

RECEIVING - Gonzaga Prep: McIntyre 2-47, Bacon 2-30.

Mt. Spokane 48, NC 27

Wildcats junior running back Josh Wilson says his team could put up these kind of numbers every week.

That’s possible, but Wilson will need more efforts like Friday’s. He rushed for four touchdowns and finished with 172 yards on 13 carries and also caught four passes from quarterback Jake Swanson for 82 yards.

“This is a blast,” the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Wilson said. “We wanted to come out here and get our first GSL win.”

Swanson threw for four touchdowns and completed 10 of 17 passes for 215 yards with two interceptions.

North Central senior quarterback Nick Frocheiser also had a big game, throwing for a GSL-record 405 yards to break the mark of 381 set by Josh Rataezyk of Ferris in 1991. Junior tight end Chris Guertz hauled in five of Swanson’s passes for 188 yards.

“Moving the football the last few years has not been our problem,” NC coach Wes Hobbs said, noting the Wildcats’ line wore out his players late in the game. “We’re one deep and we have to play four quarters. We need to get in better shape.”

Mt. Spokane played an independent schedule last season in the school’s first year.

Mt. Spokane 14 14 13 7 - 48

North Central 6 13 0 8 - 27

N-Cumbie 1 run (kick failed)

M-Shuyler 7 pass from Swanson (Snyder kick)

M-Swanson 6 run (Snyder kick)

N-Johnson 68 run (run failed)

M-Wilson 5 run (Snyder kick)

N-Cumbie 2 run (Guertz kick)

M-Wilson 22 pass from Swanson (Snyder kick)

M-Gaston 47 pass from Swanson (Snyder kick)

M-Wilson 73 run (kick failed)

N-Guertz 38 pass from Froscheiser (Cumbie pass from Froscheiser)

M-Wilson 31 pass from Swanson (Snyder kick)

M N First downs 24 21 Rushes-yards 38-360 37-154 Passing yards 225 405 Return yards 36 19 Passes 10-17-2 17-37-1 Punts-avg. 2-32.5 2-37 Fumbles-lost 4-1 2-2 Penalties-yards 5-55 4-44

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Mt. Spokane: Wilson 13-172, Milette 13-146, Swanson 6-22, Binder 2-11, Dunford 1-5, Bafaro 2-3, Trainor 1-1. North Central: Johnson 8-103, Cumbie 21-70, Kelly 1-0, Mack 2-0, Froscheiser 5-(minus-19).

PASSING - Mt. Spokane: Swanson 10-17-2-225. North Central: Froscheiser 17-37-1-405.

RECEIVING - Mt. Spokane: Wilson 4-82, Gaston 1-47, Binder 2-37, Milette 1-29, Dunford 1-23, Schuyler 1-7. North Central: Guertz 5-188, Peterson 4-93, Cumbie 5-79, Erickson 2-28, Johnson 1-17.

University 37, Shadle Park 8

U-Hi junior quarterback Brandon Frost found out last week he would be the team’s starter.

After Friday’s performance, he said he believes he showed enough to keep the spot.

In the first quarter, Frost connected with senior Jake Roberts for a 19-yard touchdown and also ran for another score as the Titans took control early. Frost and Roberts teamed up again in the second quarter for an 18-yard TD.

“I just stepped up to the plate this week and took control,” said Frost, who completed 8 of 12 passes for 133 yards.

Shadle didn’t have a first down until 5:10 left in the third quarter. The Highlanders scored their lone touchdown on a 1-yard run by Steve Gabriel as the clock expired in the third period.

“We didn’t execute very well,” Shadle coach Mark Hester said. “The defense has to play the whole first half.”

The Titans won last year’s season opener with the Highlanders in overtime.

University 13 14 0 10 - 37

Shadle Park 0 0 8 0 - 8

U-Roberts 19 pass from Frost (Visintainer kick)

U-Frost 1 run (kick failed)

U-Wilkinson 4 run (Visintainer kick)

U-Roberts 18 pass from Frost (Visintainer kick)

S-Gabriel 1 run (Bishop run)

U-Lee 2 run (Visintainer kick)

U-Visintainer 22 field goal

U S First downs 20 5 Rushes-yards 47-241 27-49 Passing yards 133 74 Return yards 33 9 Passes 8-12-0 5-8-2 Punts-avg. 4-34.7 5-49.8 Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-0 Penalties-yards 5-55 1-11

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Shadle Park: Weiser 7-19, Richardson 8-17, Gabriel 7-12, Bishop 5-1. University: Wilkinson 29-172, Timmer 7-36, Lee 4-34, Gazaway 1-12, Lovinger 1-6, Frost 5-(minus-19).

PASSING - Shadle Park: Bishop 5-8-2-74. University: Frost 8-12-133.

RECEIVING - Shadle Park: Gabriel 3-59, Rainer 1-10, Weiser 1-5. University: Roberts 6-121, Buchanan 1-6, Renz 1-6.