Mead rings up rival

Mead football players rang the bell following Thursday night’s game against rival Mt. Spokane, indicative of a task successfully accomplished.

The Panthers (7-2, 6-2) not only defeated the Wildcats 27-7 in the annual Battle of the Bell, earning the right to keep the weighty chime for another year, but with it they guaranteed no worse than a tie for third place in the Greater Spokane League and a chance to reach the postseason.

“This is a big game,” relieved coach Sean Carty said afterward. “It makes me so sick every year. I didn’t sleep all week.”

The cause of his discomfort wasn’t the worry over whether his team needed it to make the playoffs, but the nature of the game itself.

“I’ve been on both ends,” he said of such games, in which a team that is supposed to win loses, or the one supposed to lose wins.

He wasn’t taking anything for granted.

“It’s just one of those things where anything can happen,” Carty said. “I’ve watched too many Apple Cups, seen too many big rivalry games and been involved in this for 10 years. I hate this week. I hate it, but I love it.”

What was not to love for Carty on a night when the strong arm of quarterback Glen Reser and sticky fingers of Panthers receivers, most notably Matt Lynch and Ryane LaForte, allayed his fears early in the fast-paced contest played before an audience of 3,067?

Midway through the first quarter, the Panthers had a 14-0 lead and Mt. Spokane but one scrimmage play and it was clear sailing thereafter.

Reser, who passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns, hooked up with Lynch and LaForte on two completions that totaled 66 yards during Mead’s initial 77-yard scoring drive. It was capped by James Allen’s 5-yard run.

Mt. Spokane fumbled on its first play and Bryan DeFelice recovered. It took nine plays to cover 31 yards, but Reser completed 4 of 5 passes, including to tight end Dan Spitzer for the second score with 5 minutes, 55 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The Panthers added the first of two Chase Collings field goals and by halftime had an edge of 202-66 in offensive yards. Reser had thrown for 139 yards, 93 of that to Lynch or LaForte.

“I guess we’re just coming together and Glen always finds us,” said Lynch, who also had a game-turning second-half touchdown catch one play after being flagged for offensive pass interference in the end zone.

The penalty and loss of down made it fourth down at the Wildcats’ 29 with a minute left in the third quarter and Mead still holding its 17-0 advantage.

This time Reser went up top to Lynch, who, surrounded by three defenders, hauled in the pass.

The 70-yard drive capped a turnaround that effectively took Mt. Spokane out of the game.

Following intermission, the Wildcats had controlled the ball for the better part of the quarter, moving from their 30 to the Panthers’ 3-yard line in 11 plays. Quarterback Connor Haley passed for 39 yards and added a 15-yard run during the drive.

Two incomplete passes, two penalties, a sack and interception by Todd Loncosty turned the game back Mead’s way and Lynch settled the outcome.

Mt. Spokane scored with 5:56 remaining on a 22-yard pass from Haley to Jared Ryan, but didn’t get the ball back until less than 2 minutes remained.

Part of Mead’s strategy going in was to throw long downfield and see what happens if the running game didn’t pan out, Carty said. Assistant coach John Barrington noted that opposing teams have loaded up their defenses to stop the run, which has necessitated passing more this season.

“We thought we might try it,” said Carty of the decision to air it out. “It looked like Mt. Spokane planned to take away the running game so we wanted to see if it might open things up and it did.”

As a result, Reser finished 11 of 19 for 203 yards, five to Lynch for 105 and four to LaForte for 79. Reser is second in the GSL with 1,330 yards and 21 touchdowns, while LaForte has 39 catches for 550 yards and Lynch 29 for 470 and seven touchdowns.

“Those kids spent a lot of time in the off-season working to keep their routes sharp,” Carty said. “They are very good high school receivers, work hard at it and deserve to have success. We’re 7-2 and have a chance for the playoffs. This team has done a nice job of putting a nice season together.”

The Panthers’ defense proved stout as well, limiting Mt. Spokane to a net 28 rushing yards and 155 yards of total offense.

Mead will either play off against Central Valley Tuesday to decide third place, or prepare for a state play-in appearance against the Columbia Basin League should the Bears falter.

“We’re just going to wait and see what happens to CV tomorrow, and if they win we have to get ready to play them,” Lynch said.