No miracle for Prep
Gonzaga Prep football made the start of its state semifinal football game seem too easy. And maybe that was the problem.
After two weeks spent rallying from the brink, maybe early prosperity wasn’t such a good thing.
Gonzaga’s season came to an end, but a week earlier than the players envisioned it, losing 14-10 Saturday to Oak Harbor.
The Bullpups’ line had bowled over a smaller defense and they moved the football at will during consecutive time-consuming 13-play drives for a 10-0 lead.
The visiting Wildcats adjusted defensively, took a 14-10 lead and their well-crafted passing game engineered by WSU-bound Marshall Lobbestael, refused to allow Gonzaga the chance at a comeback.
After Oak Harbor stopped Gonzaga on fourth down inside the 20 with 5:29 left, it kept the ball for nearly the remainder of the game to deny Prep another opportunity to rally.
“He’s a very good football player,” said Gonzaga assistant coach Dave McKenna of Lobbestael. “He made the plays when they needed them.”
The Wildcats were facing third and 13 and the Bullpups were facing their biggest defensive play of the season early in that final possession.
Lobbestael took the ball, spun and fired over the middle to running back Tony Thulin for 26 yards. Facing third down again and rolling to his right, Lobbestael shoveled the ball forward, again to Thulin for a tough five yards and another first down.
There would be no miracle for Gonzaga. The Bullpups’ second State 4A semifinal defeat in three years was the only on-field setback in 13 games this year for a resilient band of seniors.
“It was a tough pill to swallow,” said coach Dave Carson, “But we have nothing to be ashamed of. We represented ourselves well and played a great game. It was two good football teams trying to figure out a way to win. They did and, unfortunately, we didn’t. It’s disappointing for the seniors. I’m sad, but not displeased.”
The game drew a crowd of 4,250. A total of 4,501 showed up for the day’s playoff doubleheader at Albi.
Now there’s one
St. John-Endicott becomes the only area football team playing for a state title and one of four eastern Washington teams still playing in next weekend’s Gridiron Classic finals in Tacoma.
Asotin and LaSalle from Yakima play for the 2B title. Connell is still alive for the 1A crown. Other than that it will be a western Washington show.
Playoff perennials such as Gonzaga Prep are done. Pasco is done. Kamiakin is done. Prosser is done. Reardan and Davenport are done.
The Eagles play on and this vignette puts it into perspective:
“When Coach (Joey McCanna) said at church the last time we’d been to a state final was 1984,” said defensive hero Brett Larson, “A lady stood up and said, ‘That was my son. He’s 40.’ We’re more noted as a basketball school.”
Larson had two fourth quarter interceptions enabling St. John-Endicott to stave off Pateros 32-28. The Eagles did it almost exclusively on the ground, completing just one pass for five yards and rushing for 357.
Phillip Luft gained 194, giving him 3,052 yards rushing for the year. Quarterback Andrew Wolfe added 146. He now has gained 617 rushing and thrown for 1,240 yards more.
They are among eight senior starters who have a chance to take their place in St. John-Endicott lore, basketball notwithstanding. A win over Lummi Saturday would make them the school’s first state football champions.
And there have been some pretty good Eagles teams, particularly the 1958-62 squads that won 34 straight and the 1965-69 teams that won 37 in a row before the state playoffs became reality.