Trick play lifts Titans over Bears

Coaches like to preach basics when talking about athletic success. There are times when a little chicanery doesn’t hurt.

A trick play by University produced a 20-13 Greasy Pig football victory over rival Central Valley on Friday for their fourth consecutive Greater Spokane League win and a share of third place.

On fourth-and-13 at the Bears’ 26-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Ian Williamson’s 26-yard touchdown pass to fellow wide receiver Matt Hanna produced the winning touchdown.

Williamson took a lateral pass from quarterback J.D. Peterson, let fly and the streaking Hanna laid out for the brilliant grab near the back of the end zone.

“We’ve been practicing it and luckily we hit it on the money tonight,” said Titans coach Mike Ganey. “It was a great catch too, a helluva catch.”

The play was added this week in practice.

“It was just, like, throw the ball,” said Williamson. “The worst thing I could do is overthrow him. Thank God I didn’t. It was barely in, though.”

CV did much of the heavy work throughout the game, but only had a 13-all tie to show for it to that point. The Bears went crisply 61 yards on their first series to lead 7-0.

But the Titans blew right back to tie less than two minutes later, abetted by a short kickoff that Williamson turned into a 58-yard burst past the defense to CV’s 23-yard line.

Hanna caught two passes in the four-play series, including the score.

Thereafter, penalties, turnovers and red zone difficulties, not to mention the two-way yeoman’s work of U-Hi Kris O’Connor, made CV’s night difficult.

After Zach Evans’ 42-yard field goal put the Bears back in front, another short kickoff led to O’Connor’s 38-yard TD and a 13-10 lead that held up through half. Until then, the Titans had gained just 31 yards of total offense.

They’d have been facing third-and-9 if not for a personal foul that preceded O’Connor’s tackle-shredding run.

Evans kicked another field goal after CV’s second-half opening drive bogged down inside the 20. The team was on the march again when Brady Kenworthy picked off Camren Ebat and returned the ball 32 yards to CV’s 37.

The trick play ensued six plays later. From there, U-Hi’s defense twice stopped the Bears on fourth-down plays.

Blake Kenworthy separated Dane Knudson from the ball on a pass near midfield following the score. On CV’s next series, two cracks at making first down on short-yardage inside the Titans 20 were stopped short.

“The kickoff return was huge to get us back in the game right away,” said Ganey. “The turnover into the touchdown and also those two fourth downs when we held them were huge.”

CV had a 277 to 183 total offensive advantage to little avail. Junior running back Tyler Demars, who had only four rushes for four yards prior to Friday night, gained 132 of the team’s 222 rushing yards on 24 carries.

But there was no accounting for U-Hi’s resolve. At the heart of it was O’Connor, stout at middle linebacker and who at times attracted the entire CV defense when he carried the ball, gaining 94 yards on 19 carries. “Last year they beat us two times in one year,” O’Connor said. “We played a great team and just pulled it out. We’re finally getting together as a team.”

All while taking back the Greasy Pig trophy on an opportunistic night.