Cheney High’s dreams of a post-season football tournament trip died last Friday night in Pullman — thanks to the arm of quarterback Konner Kinkade.
Kinkade threw six touchdown passes, four in a 42-point first half, as the Greyhounds snatched the Great Northern League’s No. 2 playoff spot with a 59-28 win over the Blackhawks. Cheney fell behind 42-7 at the break, and although they whittled Pullman’s lead to 24 with two scores in the third quarter, could get no closer.
The Greyhounds opened a 21-0 lead before the Blackhawks found the end zone, courtesy of Camden VerStrate’s 40-yard TD run in the second quarter. Pullman stretched their lead to 45-7 on James Pitzer’s 47-yard third-quarter field goal, but Cheney found a way to begin narrowing the gap.
Mekhai Goodloe scored from five yards out, and quarterback Alex Long hit Luke Martin on a 49-yard touchdown strike to pull within 45-21. But Kinkade found Ronny Johnson on a 10-yard TD pass early in the fourth, and Pullman effectively put the game out of reach with a 57-yard interception return for a score.
Cheney scored it’s fourth touchdown on a six-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Justin Ward to Tayvin Ewen. Pullman added the final points with another 57-yard interception return late in the game.
Cheney suffered its third consecutive loss to drop to 1-3 in the GNL, 6-3 overall. While the defeat ends the Blackhawks — and Clarkston Bantams — hopes for a playoff spot, it isn’t the finale for Cheney’s 24 seniors.
The Blackhawks get a chance to end the season on a positive note as they host the Othello Huskies in a crossover game this Friday night with the Central Washington Athletic Conference. Game time at Tom Oswald Field is 7 p.m.
Othello comes in at 4-3 overall, 3-1 in the CWAC, finishing fifth in the 10-team league. The Huskies are averaging just over 14.55 points per game offensively while surrendering 26.33 points defensively.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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