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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sophomore Jeter Schuerman helps Mt. Spokane rally to edge rival Mead

When Mt. Spokane sophomore Jeter Schuerman was called up from junior varsity because of a rash of injuries at quarterback, he was given a No. 32 jersey. All the standard, low-digit QB numbers were taken.

After spearheading a late comeback in a 13-10 win over rival Mead on Friday at Albi Stadium, he may have earned one.

Schuerman faked a jet-sweep handoff, ran through a linebacker and kept his legs pumping on a 10-yard, go-ahead touchdown run with just more than 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats’ first lead in the Battle of the Bell rivalry game.

Around 9,000 rain-soaked fans watched the defense of sixth-ranked Mt. Spokane (5-1) suffocate the Panthers on their next two drives to preserve a nonleague win.

Mt. Spokane, which bucked a two-game losing streak to Mead, got its bell rung after its students stormed the field – and it was a good thing.

“I’m not the fastest guy, there’s no spin move for me,” Schuerman said when recalling his touchdown run. “But if I can hit the guy, I can spin off him when I lower my shoulder. I did that, saw a running lane and took it.”

The play before the scoring run saved the Wildcats.

Trailing 10-6, Mt. Spokane was in a fourth-and-8 situation in Mead territory when Scheurman found an open Isaac Adams, who hauled in a pass that moved the chains.

A week after helping Mt. Spokane beat GSL power Gonzaga Prep 13-0, Schuerman accounted for 102 rushing yards on 20 carries and connected on 8 of 17 passes for 54 yards.

The defensive slugfest saw Mead with 159 total yards. Mt. Spokane wasn’t otherworldly either, totaling 269.

“We knew that we could win a low-scoring game,” Mt. Spokane coach Terry Cloer said. “We knew (Mead’s) offense was good, so we put it on our defense to hold them down. They got a few yards on their first possession, but we were able to hold them the rest of the way.”

Mead (4-2) took the lead when Cameron Crawford busted off a 34-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Mt. Spokane answered in the second when Tommy Madill reached the end zone from 4 yards out, but the Wildcats missed the ensuing extra point.

Eli Eldridge’s 20-yard field goal in the second quarter gave Mead a 10-6 lead.

But a youngster came through down the stretch.

“Amazing young man,” Cloer said of Schuerman. “To step up in this game and make the plays he did tonight, running the 2-minute or 4-minute drill in the end to kill the clock. That’s not easy.”

University 14, Shadle Park 13: Gavin Wolcott threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns as the Titans (4-2) held off the visiting Highlanders (1-5) in another nonleaguer.

Wolcott hit Kye Duplessis for a 79-yard score in the second quarter to put University ahead 14-7. Shadle Park’s Carson Doyle found Shamus Kennedy for the pair’s second score of the game, but the Highlanders couldn’t convert the PAT and trailed by one point.

The defenses tightened up in the second half, with both offenses failing to put any points on the board.