Titans state case
The University High football team began with a statement-making drive and ended with one that could go far in defining the Titans’ season.
And 6-foot-4 senior Trevor Wakem was on the receiving end of both touchdown passes from senior Danny Jordan, the final one, coming on a 9-yard out, securing a 20-14 win over visiting Coeur d’Alene in a non-league game Thursday.
“It was nice. I’m glad they got me back in the offense,” said Wakem, who found himself at times last year as more of a decoy than a target. “They beat us last year. We just wanted to come out here and tell ‘em who’s boss – tell ‘em who’s boss on our field.”
It was a particularly satisfying victory for U-Hi considering it was humbled 53-27 by the Vikings at CdA in a season opener last year.
“We grew up,” said Wakem, who finished with a game-high seven catches for 73 yards including a 15-yard TD to open the game. “We’ve got a bunch of seniors out here. We’re going to state. We’re on our way.”
The end of Wakem’s statement might be a little presumptuous, what with a full Greater Spokane League season to play. But his point of it being a different U-Hi team was well made.
The teams went into halftime tied at 14. They went scoreless in the third quarter, and it appeared the game would end knotted up before U-Hi’s final possession, which began with 2:11 remaining at its 30-yard line.
Not a quick-strike or big-strike offense, U-Hi put together a wonderfully called final drive. A big play, though, came on third-and-8 from the CdA 35 when Jordan tried to elude the rush and floated toward the Vikings’ sideline. After he threw the ball just to avoid a sack, he was roughed right in front of Vikings head coach Shawn Amos, who said it was a good call by the officials. That gave the Titans first down at the 20 with 46 seconds to go.
Ganey called a counter to sophomore running back John Wright, and he was stopped for no gain. Jordan then threw a pass away on second down. Then he hit Wakem for an 11-yard gain to the 9 on the next play.
At that point, Ganey figured he could take one last shot at the end zone with 11 seconds to go before attempting a field goal – on which the Titans were 0 for 2 in the first half. Jordan tossed a ball only Wakem could catch, and the Titans receiver used his body to screen out Vikings cornerback Justin Knight.
“It was a great pass. We’ve been working on that all summer,” Wakem said.
“Give credit to our whole team for coming out of the chute in the first game against a very explosive team,” Ganey said. “I’m very proud of the character our team showed. It’s huge (the win) for us. It’s a non-league game, but we took it seriously.”
Amos thought the Vikings played a better team than they did in a season-opening 17-10 win at Sandpoint last week. But he thought his team didn’t prepare properly this week.
“We prepared like a young team this week and we walked in here like a … we weren’t ready,” Amos said pausing in midthought. “I don’t know what we’re going to do next week, but we’ll be ready.”
Wright finished with a game-high 116 yards on 24 carries.
Washington
Lewis and Clark 27, Central Valley 21: A gutsy fourth-down call in the waning seconds of another stirring edition of LC-CV football led to a Tigers score with just 5 seconds remaining and a victory that provided 3,560 Greater Spokane League fans with a rousing start to the 2007 season.
LC quarterback Taylor Eglet faced fourth-and-1 at the Bears’ 45-yard line. Everyone packed in tight in anticipation of an Alex Shaw blast. Eglet sold the fake, rolled out and found wide-open tight end Culley Grow, who rumbled 44 yards.
Then it was Shaw, who bulled for the final yard and a harrowing win.
The Bears had overcome a 13-0 deficit with two scores 19 seconds apart late in the first half. LC regained a 21-14 lead with 5:09 remaining in the game, only to have CV cover 71 yards for a tie with 2:08 left.
The Tigers caught a break when the following kickoff went out of bounds, giving them enough field position and time to rally for victory.
An 11-yard tackle-shredding run by Shaw and, following a sack, two Eglet completions to favorite target Vaughn Kapiko, put Tigers coaches in decision-making mode.
It was a play LC called earlier, but Eglet fumbled the ball. This time Grow moved in behind the guard and tackle, feigning block, slipped out and behind CV’s defense while Eglet faked dive and rolled to his right.
The wide-open Grow gathered in the ball and, aided by a crushing block from Eglet’s senior brother, Charlie, nearly went the distance.