Mt. Spokane routs Rogers

Mt. Spokane scored early and often to beat Rogers 43-14 in Greater Spokane League 3A action at Joe Albi Stadium on Friday night.

Roy Hyatt put the Wildcats (6-3, 2-0 GSL) on the board with a 51-yard punt return touchdown after the Pirates (0-7, 0-2) went three and out on their opening drive.

Things only got worse for Rogers when the Wildcats gashed three big runs to set up a 1-yard TD run by quarterback Matt Pulliam.

Mt. Spokane rolled on to four more first-half touchdowns, including a 59-yard Bryce Zimmerer interception return touchdown. The Wildcats led 40-0 at halftime.

With a running clock in the second half, quarterback Austyn Holm had a hand in both Rogers touchdowns. The first came on a 7-yard pass to Conrad Weeks and the second on a 3-yard run. Khalil Winfrey finished with six catches for 107 yards.

Mt. Spokane ran 36 times for 272 yards and four touchdowns and the defense intercepted five passes.

“I think it goes back to kids watching film and knowing what to expect, knowing what a team wants to do and making the plays,” Wildcats head coach Terry Cloer said.

The Wildcats will try to stop quarterback Brett Rypien and Shadle Park next Friday night in what amounts to the GSL 3A title game. The winner earns home-field advantage in a play-in crossover game with the Mid-Columbia Conference.

“(Home-field advantage is) huge,” Cloer said.

“You don’t want to go down to the Tri-Cities and you want to avoid playing the best team down there and stay home and get some home cooking.”