CV outlasts Prep; Mead rolls
Three weeks ago, the Central Valley Bears were 0-2 in Greater Spokane League football play. They knew they couldn’t lose another game if they wanted to participate in the postseason.
With losing not an option, they decided letting their opponents score wouldn’t be one either.
For a school-record third consecutive week, CV posted a shutout over a previously undefeated foe.
Friday night, however, the Bears didn’t score either, at least in the 48 minutes of regulation.
When they did, on Zach Evans’ 42-yard field goal, it gave them a 3-0 decision over defending league champion Gonzaga Prep before more than 3,000 at Prep.
“We know where we stand,” said senior running back and defensive back Tyler Demars, one of the Bears’ heroes, who came close to being a goat. “We knew we had to turn things around, especially mentally. The way we are playing now, with the intensity we’re playing with, there’s no doubt we can make the playoffs.”
Now, holding onto the ball – for either team – that was a doubtful exercise.
That’s why Demars was able to go from hero to goat to hero again. In the opening half, he recovered a fumble and had CV’s lone interception. In the fourth quarter he recovered another fumble – one of four the Bullpups lost – at the Bears’ 9-yard line and less than 7 minutes left.
Then he returned the favor, fumbling on the G-Prep 5 with 1:08 left, ending the Bears’ best scoring chance.
“We had mistakes, lots of them,” he said, “but we held together as a team, that’s what’s important.”
Demars’ fumble could have unglued CV, mainly because it was so unexpected and came after the Bears’ one big offensive play.
After Demars’ pounced on G-Prep’s new turf to recover quarterback Max Manix’s fourth-quarter fumble, killing G-Prep’s last good scoring opportunity, CV (4-2 overall, 3-2 in GSL play) put together its best drive, converting three long third downs but still was only out to its 44 with 1:26 left.
Facing a second-and-27 after the 14th penalty of the night, Evans weaved through the G-Prep middle on a draw for 55 yards. Only a diving tackle after a 60-yard sprint by defensive back Brendan Cunningham stopped Evans inches shy of the goal line. Quarterback Cameron Ebat, playing in relief of injured Nick Lallier, promptly scored on a sneak. But another yellow flag – an illegal procedure on a wideout – brought it back to the 5, where Demars fumbled on the next play.
“Any time we got into position to score, something happened,” CV coach Rick Giampietri said. “But they same can be said of them. A lot of it was the intensity the defenses played with.”
G-Prep’s chances mostly came because of the efforts of Manix, who had his best passing night of the season. He completed 12 of 22 for 147 yards, nine of the completions going to Cory Piper, including a big fourth-down hookup on their last drive in regulation. But Manix was limited to 48 yards on 20 rushing attempts, as the Bears focused on slowing him down.
“We took a lot of chances and showed them things they probably hadn’t seen us do,” Giampietri said. “We had a good game plan and the kids executed it well.”
Although the Bullpups moved the ball in the final minute, they couldn’t get close enough for a last-second field-goal try.
In the Kansas tiebreaker overtime (starting on the CV’s 25), G-Prep got the ball first and promptly fumbled. The recovery was made by – who else – Demars. All the Bears had to do was kick a field goal.
After two runs for no gain, Evans did just that, splitting the uprights and keeping CV’s postseason hopes alive.
Lallier suffered a stinger and precautionary X-rays proved negative, according to Giampietri.
East Valley 46, North Central 14
The Knights’ rushing attack has pounded their four opponents into submission, but it was Jye Lanphere’s right arm that threw the big punch at East Valley.
Lanphere teamed up with Cole Abramson for a 38-yard touchdown strike late in the first quarter, giving the Knights (4-2, 4-1) a 17-0 lead. Lanphere finished 6 of 12 for 132 yards.
EV’s rushing attack also came through, with Ryan Campbell and Anthony Laborin each scoring twice.
Shane Thomas had a hand in all three North Central (0-6, 0-5) scores, running for two and passing for a third.
Cheney 31, Rogers 6
Mike Kinney completed 16 of 19 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns to Matt Brunell as the host Blackhawks (3-3, 2-3) won for the second consecutive week. The Cheney defense also limited Rogers (0-6, 0-5) to 193 yards of total offense.
University 36, West Valley 0
The Titans (3-3, 3-2) shut down the Eagle (2-4, 2-3) running game, limiting it to 15 yards after leading rusher Phillip Gannon left in the first quarter with an injury. Meanwhile, sophomore quarterback Danny Jordan teamed with Mike Conrad for two touchdown passes, the second a 64-yard hookup opening the second half.
Billy Sweetser, who scored twice, ran for 132 yards on 26 carries as the Titans controlled the ball, pounding out 232 yards on the ground.