Wolfpack lose title game
Wenatchee Valley airs it out to beat Spokane
EAST WENATCHEE – The Spokane Wolfpack’s game plan was to stop Wenatchee Valley’s running game and force Rams quarterback Matt Sligar to beat them.
Unfortunately for the Wolfpack, that’s just what Sligar did.
The Rams quarterback was 7 for 8 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown in the second half Saturday as the Rams beat the Wolfpack 14-7 in the semipro Washington Football League title game.
“Our plan was to stop their running game, and we thought it would be to our advantage when they went to their passing game,” Wolfpack player-coach Eugene Burgess said. “Unfortunately they made some big plays through the air.”
The Rams’ second possession of the second half started with a 35-yard completion from Sligar to Phil Frost down the left sideline. Later in the drive, Sligar completed passes for two long third-down conversions – one for 11 yards on third-and-8 and the other for 17 yards on third-and-14 – and capped the drive with a 14-yard pass to tight end Lance Ballew.
The Wolfpack didn’t get on the board until the 9:40 mark of the fourth quarter, on a 14-yard pass from Tim Mitrovich to go-to receiver Jeff Prendergast.
“He’s been our most reliable receiver all year,” Burgess said of Prendergast, who caught 10 balls for 143 yards Saturday. “He runs great routes and he comes up with big catches.”
The Wolfpack had just one possession after that, and managed to penetrate as deep as the Rams 33-yard line. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty backed Spokane up near midfield, and Mitrovich’s deep desperation throw on fourth-and-16 from the 39 was broken up.
The Rams were able to run out the clock from there, then celebrate their first league title.
“This feels pretty good,” Rams coach Mickey White said. “This team has so much character, so much confidence. We’ve been playing lights out since the bye.”
The Rams started the season 1-2 but haven’t lost since, avenging their only two losses of the regular season with their playoff wins over Yakima last week and Spokane in the championship.
When the Rams and Wolfpack met during the regular season, there wasn’t an offensive touchdown scored in the game, which Spokane won 13-10 on the strength of two interceptions returned for touchdowns.