Gonzaga Prep pounds out victory over Central Valley

For more than 30 minutes of their 48-minute Greater Spokane League football game, Gonzaga Prep and Central Valley ineffectually pounded at the heart of each other’s defense.

But the Bullpups, out of necessity, went strong side with their attack to end the scoreless futility late in the third quarter and won 10-7.

The victory left G-Prep undefeated and tied with Lewis and Clark for first place in league.

“The kids have something special going right now,” said coach Dave Carson following the victory. “It’s been a long time since Prep has been 6-0.”

But it took some halftime alterations against CV’s defense to get it done. The Bears secondary had thwarted Prep’s long passing game and 6-foot-5, 256-pound interior lineman C.E. Kaiser forced a change of thinking in the Bullpups’ run approach.

“We thought we could throw the ball deep on them and they did a great job of taking it away,” said Carson. “No. 68 (Kaiser) dominated us and we had to go in at halftime and do some stuff.”

That “stuff” was a little more run by quarterback Billy Karwacki, who had a team-high 58 yards, and exploitation of the perimeter to get away from Kaiser.

Following a short CV punt, G-Prep went 46 yards in eight plays, including two Karwacki keepers and a couple of option pitches, for the game’s first touchdown with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Reserve back Connor Hare carried the final two times, first taking a 9-yard toss around the right side, then on a 7-yard TD burst up the middle.

“The line opened a huge hole and I pretty much walked into the end zone,” Hare said.

Hare also made the play of the game, an end-zone interception that ruined a time-consuming, 13-play, 66-yard march by the Bears.

G-Prep later kicked a short field goal after the Bears misfired on a fake punt and pass from their own 30-yard-line.

The Bears (2-4, 2-3) went to the air for 73 yards in the game’s final 2:22 for their only score. Kyle Renz made a fine grab off a batted pass and his second-effort reach into the end zone got the TD with 10 seconds remaining.

CV had held the football for almost 18 minutes of the first half, giving the Bullpups a heavy dose of Zach Evans, mainly up the middle because its option game was stymied by Prep’s speedy linebackers.

He carried 18 times for 70 yards, mainly by zigging and zagging up the middle, for most of CV’s offense. But Evans missed kicks of 41 and 47 yards.

Meanwhile, the Bullpups had only 63 yards at intermission, almost all through the air. Two of four Karwacki completions went to 6-7 tight end Kellen Beam for 30 of those yards.

Lewis and Clark 37, Clarkston 10

The Tigers (5-0) made quick work of their game in Clarkston (3-3, 2-3) to remain tied with the Bullpups.

A 23-point second-quarter, including the second of Ethen Robinson’s three touchdowns and Chris Edwards’ 40-yard interception return, put the Tigers in front 30-0 and made the rest of the game academic.

University 43, West Valley 7

The Titans (3-3, 3-2) keep gaining momentum and moved into fifth place in league, fourth among 4A schools, with their third consecutive victory.

This was the easiest, as Kris O’Connor rushed for 131 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns and Blake Kenworthy added two scores, including a 41-yard scamper.

U-Hi finished with 286 yards of total offense and held the Eagles to 153.

Four other GSL teams are bunched at 2-3 behind the Titans.