Caleb Kostecka carries load for Lewis and Clark in 40-6 win over Ferris at Hart Field

Last year, Ferris hosted Lewis and Clark on its campus for the first time since 1996 and only the fourth time in history.

This year, LC returned the favor.

Caleb Kostecka carried 14 times for 122 yards with a touchdown and the Tigers beat the Saxons 40-6 at Hart Field in the Greater Spokane League season opener for both teams on Friday.

Tigers QB Jack Paridon completed 5 of 12 passes for 110 yards with two touchdowns.

“It felt great to be back out at Hart Field,” Paridon said. “It was a great team win.”

“Getting the first one done always feels good. I’m proud of our kids,” LC coach Joe Ireland said. “There’s things to work on, clean up, but it’s a tough league and you want to get as many wins as you can.”

The contest was the first GSL game at Hart Field – and just third overall – since Nov. 7, 1969, when Lewis and Clark hosted the Saxons. That day, the Tigers outscored Ferris 20-8 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 27-22 win.

The field turf was installed at Joe Albi Stadium in 1970 and the rivalry had been played at that venue, miles away from either campus, until its destruction two years ago. The new downtown stadium, ONE Spokane Stadium – to be shared by the five Spokane Public Schools – is scheduled to open for football on Sept. 28 with a contest between North Central and Clarkston.

On Friday, it was all Tigers as the young Saxons, including new head coach Jerrall Haynes, were getting their feet wet in an opening-week league game.

“Oh man, there’s a lot going on, you know what I mean?” Haynes said. “There’s a lot of different things to manage throughout the way. Anytime you build a new program, you don’t really know what to expect.

“And so that first game, now we know, we know where our kids are at and we know what we need to fix.”

The Saxons’ first drive might have been their most impressive. Fareed Lawal returned a short kickoff to the 45, then John Olson connected with Hunter Johnson for 19 yards into LC territory. Ferris drove to the 23, but Olson’s swing pass was picked off by Cooper Jefferies, who returned it to the 38.

Six plays later, Paridon found Tyler Jones on an 11-yard slant for a 7-0 lead.

“Paridon did a really good job,” Ireland said. “He was a great backup last year and just got to work super hard over the offseason.”

Midway through the second quarter, the Tigers blocked Sam Markham’s punt and recovered at the Ferris 25. On second-and-goal from the 4, Paridon weaved his way through the line and into the end zone.

LC used a nine-play drive just before the half to increase the lead to 21-0, as Kostecka bowled his way in from the 4.

“We’ve got a lot of good runners on the team,” Paridon said. “Caleb Kostecka, Ian Schwartz… our O-line just carries us through, man.”

“We had to find a guy to replace (GSL offensive MVP) Gentz (Hilburn),” Ireland said. “We knew Caleb was probably a kid that could do that. He’d never played running back before, but he’s just a great athlete. He did what I expected him to do.”

Down 28-0, Ferris got on the board toward the end of the third quarter.

Olson hit Johnson for 15 yards then carried for 22 more to move into LC territory. Johnson hauled in a 26-yard pass to the 1, where Olson plowed in for the score.

“It would have felt better in a win, but yeah, it was good to get (on the board),” Haynes said.

“When your opponent gets just six points, we should win a football game,” Ireland said.

Lewis and Clark went to its reserves in the fourth quarter. Backup QB David Conklin hit fellow sophomore Kendall Kinkade on a 26-yard TD strike to cap the scoring.