Saxons suffer first loss

If one drive can save a football season, Shadle Park’s Highlanders have theirs.

In a year that’s already included three tough losses, Shadle went 80 yards in the final 4 minutes, 46 seconds to hand Ferris its first defeat of the season, 21-14 at Albi Stadium.

In the Greater Spokane League nightcap Friday night, Mt. Spokane won the Battle for the Bell over district rival Mead 41-14 before a crowd of 6,622.

Midway through the opener’s fourth quarter, it looked as if Shadle (2-3 overall and in the GSL) would suffer another tough defeat, when, tied at 14, the Highlanders turned over the ball for their only time, a fumble Ferris’ Mark Nyberg recovered at the Shadle 35 yard line.

But after yielding a first down, Shadle’s defense held the Saxons (4-1, 4-1) to a 40-yard field-goal attempt that missed.

“I told them to get on my shoulders, guys, we were winning this game,” Shadle quarterback Josh Powell said of his first words in the ensuing huddle.

Despite the senior’s confidence, after two running plays were stuffed, the Highlanders faced a third-and-10. That’s when Shadle coach Mark Hester called his first screen pass of the night.

“I knew it would work because they had been blitzing hard all night,” Powell said. “Our linemen blocked it well and I found (tight end) Dan (Johnson).”

The 6-foot-1 Johnson caught it, was hit, but stretched to the 30. First down.

“Then we came right back with play action to him again,” Hester said.

The play moved 20 yards to midfield. A play later Brian Kranches broke his longest run of the night, 31 yards down the right sideline, and Shadle was at the Ferris 13, well inside Andy Largent’s field-goal range.

But with a minute left, Shadle wanted more. Powell carried around left end once, right end once – “Danny Doyle (a tackle) said to just follow him,” Powell said – and then up the middle behind backup center Scott Golden for 3 yards and the game-winner.

“Josh really clutched up that last drive,” Hester said of Powell, who sat out the opening series because of a display of temper last week.

“I’m really pleased for our kids because they really needed a win.”

Ferris needed a win to go 5-0 for the first time since 1975, and at first it looked good, as it opened the game with a 78-yard, 14-play drive culminated by Caleb Rath’s 13-yard TDrun.

But only a Rath-to-Robert Davis 68-yard, second-quarter scoring strike would get the Saxons in the end zone the rest of the way, despite Ryan Murphy’s 95 yards rushing and Rath’s 200 total yards, most of which came in the first half.

“We were overpursuing and they were doing a great job of stretching us out and cutting back into the open lanes,” Hester said of defensive adjustments made at halftime. “We did a better job of staying home.”

Kranches carried the load offensively, with 133 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Powell, who was only 5 of 14 passing for 51 yards before the last drive, had the other score with a 1-yard run. Both TDs came on a short field, the first after a long Largent punt return, the second following a Saxon fumble.

Each team suffered key injuries. Ferris lost defensive tackle Cameron Elisara to an ankle injury just before halftime. Shadle lost center Chaz Faggiano and guard Stewart Tolken from its offensive line.

Mt. Spokane 41, Mead 14

The Wildcats set the tone early, jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first 7 minutes after two Panther fumbles and a short punt. The lead was built on only 37 yards in total offense.

“We told our kids that in a game of this magnitude, a rivalry game, momentum shifts would be huge,” Mt. Spokane coach Mike McLaughlin said. “We wanted to grab the momentum early and we did. We were very fortunate we received as many turnovers as we did.”

The Panthers (2-4 overall, 2-3 in the GSL) turned it over nine times, six after halftime. Their one highlight came courtesy of Skylar Jessen’s first of two touchdown runs, a 43-yarder. Jessen ran for 74 yards on 18 carries in his first appearance in three games due to an ankle injury.

But Jordan Marshall more than offset that, picking up one of Mead’s six fumbles and returning it 56 yards for a score to key the early barrage by the Wildcats (3-3, 2-3).

Marshall also played a big role with his kickoffs, almost all of which made the end zone, and two punts that averaged 54 yards.