Cheney breaks losing streak

Blackhawks win first game since 2022

SPOKANE – Behind long touchdown runs of 64 and 55 yards from Tristan Huse, plus a 14-yard TD pass, the Blackhawks toppled Ferris 44-6, Sept. 19 at ONE Spokane Stadium.

"It was an emotional win, those kids hadn't gotten to experience that in a while," head coach John Graham said. Cheney's last football win prior to this came Oct. 28, 2022 in a 28-20 win vs. Eisenhower at Yakima.

The Blackhawks (1-2) took advantage of Saxon turnovers, both fumbles and interceptions, as well as fourth-down stops, to start drives that resulted in points.

A fumble recovery set up Max Riggs 27-yard field goal and Cheney led 3-0 after a quarter.

The Blackhawks would then recover a bad snap on a punt at the Saxon 20 early in the second quarter.

That set up Huse's first score on a pass from Mason Stinson.

Andrew Houndonougbo's leaping interception set the table for another Cheney score, this one a 13-yard run by Stinson with under a minute remaining in the half for a 16-0 halftime lead.

Ferris (0-3) got its only points of the game with 7 minutes, 52 seconds to play in the third on a 38-yard pass to Jonah Terry from John Olson. But Cheney answered immediately with Huse's long run and a 23-6 lead.

The Saxons gambled - and failed again - on a fourth down try on their side of the field.

The Blackhawks eventually made them pay with Gladius Edejer's 1-yard run pushing the lead to 30-6.

Another Ferris failed fourth-down conversion with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter gave Cheney more downs in excellent field possession. It took just one play from Huse to take a 37-6 lead on his 45-yard jaunt.

Tank Best capped Cheney scoring in the fourth with his 10-yard reception from Connor Collins.

Huse ended up with 12 carries for 95 total rushing yards, followed closely by Stinson's 11-for-90 effort.

"We're kind of starting to figure out offensively what our identity is and we're getting better at it," Graham said.

Hints of an impending win had been present dating back to Cheney's game against Ridgeline, a 31-24 loss, Sept. 13.

"We had a lot of positive things carry over from that game," Graham said. "Even though it was a loss it gained us a lot of confidence, carried over to Ferris and the kids went out and executed."

Next up for the Blackhawks is a trip to Spokane to face GSL co-leading Gonzaga Prep (3-0), Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.

 

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