Pups turn over a shot at title game

The Gonzaga Prep Bullpups’ march to the State 4A football semifinals was built on a simple formula: Play stifling defense, be opportunistic on offense and win the turnover battle.

It was the last one where they failed Saturday, and with five turnovers the Bullpups failed in their quest to make the state finals for the first time since 1987, dropping a 31-30 decision to Evergreen of Vancouver.

“That’s so uncharacteristic of us,” Prep head coach Dave Carson said. “We had what, three interceptions and two fumbles and they didn’t have any. We had a chance to make plays on a couple of interceptions and we couldn’t come up with them.

“With all that, and to still only lose by one point, the turnovers were the difference.”

Despite the miscues, despite putting together only 277 yards in total offense, the Pups (12-2) still had a chance to pull it out in the final minutes before 3,357 at Albi Stadium.

With Evergreen up 31-28, Bryan DeAngelo’s second interception, this one at the Evergreen 8, had stopped the Bullpups with a little more than 3 minutes left. But the Plainsmen couldn’t move the ball and were pinned inside their 10, facing a fourth-and-13. Punter Kalei Buchanan fielded a rolling snap and took a safety by running out the back of the end zone.

With 2:21 left, Prep got the ball back at the Evergreen 44 following Houston Stockton’s 9-yard return of the free kick.

Carson figured it was time for another comeback. “Why wouldn’t we do it again, we’ve done it every other week,” Carson said.

Connor Hare went left for 10 yards to get it to the 34. A long lateral to Brandon Kennedy in the flat gained two more. But then the Plainsmen stiffened.

Billy Karwacki, who already had thrown two touchdown passes to Kennedy and had run for another, sprinted right for no gain. On third down he tried to hit Kennedy near the end zone, but David Reinikka knocked it away. Facing fourth down, Karwacki bought time, scrambled and launched a Hail Mary pass toward Brad Parker.

But Parker slipped on the cold, slick field and Reinikka jumped in front to grab the interception, securing Evergreen’s berth in the State 4A final against Skyline, a 28-23 upset winner over top-ranked Pasco. Evergreen is the first Vancouver school to make the big-school title game.

“This was a classic high school football game,” Evergreen coach Cale Piland said. “It was two teams that were evenly matched just trading blows. We’d do something they would answer, then they’d do something we would answer.”

The Plainsmen (13-0, champions of the Greater St. Helens League and ranked fourth in the state) wouldn’t have been able to answer if not for the Pups’ largesse during punts.

Three times Evergreen grabbed momentum, and field position, with the punting game.

It started early, after the Pups stuffed Evergreen’s first possession. Brandon Schmidt couldn’t corral a bouncing kick at the Gonzaga 11. Jason Blosser’s pounced on the loose ball, leading to Taylor Rank’s 8-yard scoring run.

Evergreen used the momentum – and a 70-yard drive to end the first quarter – to go ahead 14-0 on Rank’s 2-yard run. Rank, the GSHL’s second-leading rusher, finished with 131 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 32 on the year.

“He’s pretty slippery,” Carson said. “He doesn’t have great speed and he doesn’t have great power, he just makes plays.”

Just like Kennedy did midway through the second quarter, grabbing momentum and a 32-yard scoring pass from Karwacki.

Reinikka had him covered in the back of the end zone, but Kennedy tipped the ball in the air, watched it carom of Reinikka’s helmet, then caught it and got his feet down for the score.

Stockton’s 12-yard punt return set up the Pups’ tying score, with Karwacki taking it in from 16 yards out.

The Prep defense, which held Evergreen to 14 yards of total offense in the second quarter (and 210 for the game), forced a punt with a minute left. Prep took over at its 32 with momentum and two timeouts.

“If I don’t get greedy at the end of the half, we go into halftime tied,” Carson said of his decision to throw the ball twice before punting. “Sometimes being conservative is the best way to play.”

With 30 seconds left, Lonnie Hosley took Karwacki’s punt and weaved untouched through the Prep cover team for a 65-yard touchdown, giving Evergreen a 21-14 lead going into halftime.

“We had a breakdown in coverage,” Kennedy said. “The put a couple of great blocks on our gunners, he got loose and the kid was shifty. That was big.”

Karwacki and Kennedy teamed up for a 19-yard score to open the second half before Nick Fleck’s 26-yard field goal gave Evergreen a 24-21 lead. The Pups answered back with a 1-yard TD run by Hare. Then the Prep defense made three big plays, pinning Evergreen back at its 21 facing fourth-and-19.

Stockton caught the punt at 50, plowed forward and was plowed back. The ball came loose, Evergreen had it at its 44 and, seven plays later, Rank plowed into the end zone with the game-winner.

Rank’s score was set up by a trick play. Facing third-and-11, Rank took the pitch from Fleck, went right and turned and tossed a pass back to Fleck in the left flat. Only Hare’s one-hand tackle at the 1 saved a score.