Tigers claw out a victory

Stingy defense took center stage when Lewis and Clark and Mt. Spokane squared off Thursday night in a Greater Spokane League football game important to both.

It seemed inevitable, then, that the team that got the final break would prevail.

The Tigers (4-2, 3-2 GSL) recovered a fumble at the Wildcats’ 24-yard-line with just more than 3 minutes remaining in the game and a crucial pass catch by Austin Ehlo set up the winning touchdown in their 17-10 escape at Albi Stadium.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Mt. Spokane (3-3, 2-3), which had shaken off a first half in which it managed just 6 yards of total offense and lost a fumble at its 15 on the first play of the third quarter that led to LC’s initial touchdown and 10-3 lead.

The Wildcats mounted a 97-yard drive that consumed much of the period and tied the score. They had the ball back in good field position following a wacky fourth-down situation in which successive penalties resulted in three punts by LC’s Vaughn Kapiko.

But their second turnover gave the Tigers life and Ehlo somehow pulled down a 21-yard Taylor Eglet pass that came directly over his head and needed a twisting two-handed grab to secure, coming down on the 3-yard line.

“It just came over the top, I reached out and held it in,” Ehlo said after accepting congratulatory bumps from teammates along the sidelines.

Two plays later, Tigers workhorse Levi Taylor, who had 25 carries for 100 yards, bulled into the end zone for the winning TD with 1:47 remaining in the game.

“To be honest, you see it a lot in practice,” coach Tom Yearout said of Ehlo’s grab. “He comes down with things you don’t think he’d be able to catch.”

For most of the game it was the defense that did the catching and tackling. Among LC’s standouts was linebacker Tyler Kody, playing just his second game this year.

“There’s no real central part,” Kody said, when asked about his contributions. “Everyone works together.”

Turnovers, as a result, factored in much of the scoring.

The Wildcats recovered a Taylor fumble at LC’s 17-yard line and scored initially on a 33-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. The Tigers tied it midway through the second period.

When Mt. Spokane fumbled to open the second half, Eglet hit Kapiko three plays later on a 12-yard slant pass for the lead.

Thereafter, the Wildcats drove nearly the length of the field, three times converting fourth downs. Quarterback Travis Ward completed 14 of 17 second-half passes, nine during that series.

But the turnover bug bit again later and LC pulled out the victory by picking off a pass for good measure.

“We played solid on defense except for that one series, especially after the turnover with a short field and held them to three points,” Yearout said. “That was an emotional big deal. We’ve got to find some rhythm on offense. But it’s a win and I haven’t met a bad one.”