Friday Night (High)lights: Heavyweights tussle in GSL's upper division; Contenders emerge in 2A
Sep. 25—Week 4 offered our first good look at some of the heavyweights in the Greater Spokane League 4A/3A division, while the 2A are starting to sort themselves out.
And there were some interesting games between contenders in the smaller classifications as well.
With no further ado, let's go around the league and take a look at five things that stood out to us in Week 4.
Toe-to-toe
The marquee matchup this week was at Union Stadium, where Gonzaga Prep and Mead traded shot for shot with each other until the final horn sounded.
It came down to the end, as Colby Danielson's fourth-down pass from the G-Prep 16 with mere seconds left was just out of reach for Max Workman at the goal line.
It looked like the Bullpups had things sewn up when they took a two-score lead at the end of the third quarter on a short TD run by Noah Holman. But the Panthers scored with 1:35 to go — Danielson to Workman — then Nolan Braun made one of the most athletic plays you'll ever see to outleap everyone for the onside kick before landing flat on his back.
But the Bullpups pressured Danielson until the end and held off the Panthers.
The excitement at the finish shouldn't cloud our memory of what the Bullpups' offense did — 491 yards on the ground, with two runners over 100 yards and five with 50 yards or more.
The more things change in the league, the more they stay the same. Now it's down to Central Valley or Mt. Spokane to see if they can knock G-Prep down a peg later in the season.
Still kicking
Even tough Central Valley lost a tough one in overtime at Moses Lake, the Bears remain undefeated in league with Mt. Spokane — a 44-0 winner Thursday over Ferris — and G-Prep.
A league title and bragging rights are important, especially to the seniors, but seeding for the revised Week 10 playoffs — against the Mid-Columbia Conference and Big 9 — will go a long way to determine who might advance to state.
In 4A, all three GSL teams qualify for Week 10, with the league champ — Gonzaga Prep or Central Valley — hosting a game, with No. 2 forced to travel. Those teams meet Oct. 14 which could determine which squad gets that all-important advantage.
Contenders emerge
In 2A, Pullman and Shadle Park both won to extend their records to 2-0 in league, while West Valley blanked Clarkston to make both of those teams 1-1.
Only two teams reach the crossover games in Week 10. Since Shadle Park already owns a win over West Valley, the Eagles can't afford to slip again if they want a shot at postseason play.
Meanwhile, the Greyhounds withstood a challenge from Rogers Friday afternoon and host the Highlanders on Oct. 6, a game that could determine which team hosts a crossover.
Bouncing back
No. 3 Lakeside beat rival and ninth-ranked Freeman on Friday, giving the Eagles a leg up in the competitive Northeast A League. But don't sleep on Colville, which won again to remain undefeated overall and in league.
Colville football has had a trying couple of years, with the death of player Dale Martin in the spring 2021 season then low turnout and injuries to top players in a winless league season last fall.
But a mascot change put a fresh face to the athletic department there and the Crimson Hawks have had an impressive start this season.
Quarterback Cale Roy and receivers Allan McKeraghan and Colbie McEvoy — all seniors — have been running wild and lead the resurgent Colville squad.
They'll get their toughest test yet Oct. 7 at Freeman.
Small school drama
Three of the Northeast 2B teams entered weekend play ranked, with a fourth just outside the top 10.
Liberty was third, Lind-Ritzville/Sprague fifth, Davenport seventh and Chewelah 11th.
LRS downed Davenport in impressive fashion, blanking the Gorillas 40-0. Liberty and Chewelah both suffered nonleague losses, but the pair remain tied at 3-0 in league.
In 1B, the Odessa against Wilbur-Creston-Keller matchup pitted the No. 1 vs. No. 4 teams, respectively, in the state. The top-ranked Tigers quickly asserted dominance, scoring 26 points in the first quarter en route to a 68-20 rout.
Gem State update
A week after blowing out University, Post Falls was riding high. But Friday, Thomas Calder and John Cornish scored two touchdowns apiece and Lakeland beat the Trojans for the first time since 2012, bolstering the Hawks' claim as one of the top 4A teams in the state.
Coeur d'Alene got back into the win column, outlasting Woodinville 28-14, and Lewiston handed Sandpoint its third loss of the season.
Sandpoint may be the best 1-3 team in Idaho, but two losses to 5A school have dropped them from the rankings.
It all points to a showdown against Lakeland on Oct. 7.
