Bears clinch title tie

One-half a football game was good enough Thursday night for Central Valley to claim a share of its first Greater Spokane League championship since the 1997 state title year.

The Bears (8-1, 7-1 GSL) rode a big defensive hit at home by J.C. Agen that resulted in an end-zone fumble recovery on the way to a three-touchdown second half and comeback 20-10 victory over Mead (5-4, 5-4).

Late in the third quarter, Agen jarred the ball loose from Seth Moore near the goal line on the first play following a terrific stand by the Panthers’ defense that had denied CV three times from the 1-yard line.

The ball rolled into the end zone where Mike Cowger fell on it to put the Bears ahead 13-3 with 2 minutes, 51 seconds left in the third. The Bears scored another TD early in the fourth quarter and the 17-point advantage was enough for them to weather a relentless game-long ground assault by the visitors.

“I saw two pulled blockers come out and I just followed them,” Agen said of his timely tackle. “He bounced it outside and I hit him on the goal line. It’s a good thing we recovered in the end zone. It was definitely a spark for us.”

Mead rushed for 174 yards in the first half and controlled the game tempo, running 37 plays to CV’s 15. The Bears shot themselves in the foot despite a couple of interceptions – by Justin Walker and Brandon Garcia – and a recovered punt fumble.

A touchdown run was negated by one of five first-half penalties and they missed a field goal. CV trailed 3-0 on Chad Loncosty’s 27-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

“I knew we’d have a fight if we kept them in it,” CV coach Rick Giampietri said. “But the kids came through in the second half and put a great drive on them. And not getting in, then getting the touchdown two plays later – Agen had a great-hitting game.”

CV received the football after intermission and marched 74 yards in eight plays. Quarterback Blake Bledsoe twice hit Greg Barnes for passes that totaled 32 yards. Tyler Simmet made a 17-run out of nothing, pinballing off a defender and slipping through a narrow gap. Taylor Price burst 10 yards for the go-ahead score.

Following another interception, this one by Brad Whitley, CV used up much of the rest of the quarter with Bledsoe passing for 39 yards and rushing for 15. Three blasts at Mead’s defensive front 3 feet from the goal proved fruitless, but Agen turned it back around. Bledsoe scrambled 17 yards for the final score after Walker wrested another punt fumble away, at Mead’s 19.

Brandon Myers scored Mead’s touchdown with 4:43 left in the game and finished with 114 yards.

Moore gained 75 more as the Panthers packed the football 45 times for 234 yards on the ground.

But Bledsoe’s roll-out ability produced 195 yards through the air, including a 40-yard completion to Agen and a 68-yarder to Jeff Danielson with less than a minute to play.

It proved costly. Danielson, a starting linebacker, said he broke his ankle when hauled down from behind by his shoulder pads at Mead’s 5-yard line. Another linebacker, Cody Stratton, also came up hobbled earlier in the game.

“We made a few adjustments at halftime as far as what they were doing off tackle and it worked,” Giampietri said. “Co-champs, you can’t take that away from us.”

Shadle Park 38, North Central 14: Danny Rowton gained 92 of his 146 rushing yards in the first half and Ryan Flores added 108 leading the Highlanders (3-6, 3-5) past the Indians (0-8, 0-8) at Albi Stadium. Flores scored twice and Rowton once. Peter Smith scored both TDs for NC on passes from Ryan Materne. Materne was 21 for 31 for 244 yards, 177 of those to either Smith or Aaron Allie.

Northeast A League

Freeman 26, Chewelah 6: The Scotties (7-1, 4-0) won the league title with a victory over the Cougars (4-4, 2-2) at Freeman. Luke Mathews and Tanner Laib ran for two scores apiece for Freeman. Laib finished with 173 yards on the ground.

Lakeside 40, Newport 23: At Nine Mile Falls, the host Eagles (6-3, 3-1) broke open a close game with three straight touchdowns to start the fourth quarter in a victory over the Grizzlies (0-7, 0-5). Brady Blankevoort hit Casey Duclos for two scores, while Blankevoort also ran for a touchdown.

North Star League

Lakeside 51, Clark Fork 6: At Plummer, Levi Dole ran for 166 yards and three scores and Tyler McCully returned two punts for TDs to lead the host Knights (4-5, 4-4) past the Wampus Cats (0-8, 0-8).

Non-league

Mullan 68, St. Regis (Mont.) 28: Casey McKinnon scored six touchdowns and ran for 246 yards to lead the Mullan Tigers (3-6) to a non-league victory over the St. Regis Tigers at St. Regis.