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Reardan junior Cody Sprecher is hit by Davenport sophomore Evan Gunning.
Davenport sophomore Jayvee Tamayo is pursued by Reardan senior Kobe Martinez.
Davenport sophomore quarterback Evan Gunning is dragged down by Reardan senior Kobe Martinez.
Reardan sophomore Abe Nelson gets wrapped up by Davenport sophomore Evan Gunning.
Reardan sophomore Abe Nelson breaks loose for a 39-yard rush against the Davenport defense.
Reardan sophomore Abe Nelson looks to cut back as he's pursued by Davenport's defense.
Davenport sophomore Jayvee Tamayo cuts to the outside as he's pursued by Reardan senior Darius Curry.
Davenport sophomore Jayvee Tamayo loses the ball on the ground after a hit that forces a fumble by Reardan junior Wyatt Raczykowski.
Reardan sophomore Abe Nelson secures a key fourth-down reception on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive Saturday.
DAVENPORT – While their first half included coughing up two fumbles, Reardan’s offense got going against Davenport when junior Cody Sprecher took a backwards pass 78 yards to the house with five minutes left in the first quarter. It was one of Sprecher’s two touchdowns as Reardan (2-0) dusted off Davenport (0-2) 24-7 Saturday, March 6.
It was the Indians’ fifth straight victory over the Gorillas.
Sprecher was one of two rushing stars for Reardan. He carried 17 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Abe Nelson carried 17 times for 89 yards and a game-icing six-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
After Sprecher’s first quarter score, the two teams traded fumbles on three straight possessions (two by Reardan, one by Davenport) to end a sloppy opening period.
“(There were) a lot of turnovers that I didn’t anticipate,” Reardan head coach Eric Nikkola said. “I don’t know why we put the ball on the ground so many times. I don’t know why Davenport did. A lot of turnovers that we’ve got to eliminate from our game if we’re going to even compete with Colfax.”
Reardan extended its lead with Sprecher’s second score from six yards out with 2:22 left in the first half on a drive aided by a 39-yard scamper by Nelson that brought the ball to the Davenport 30-yard-line. Wyatt Raczykowski stroked a 35-yard field goal before the half, and the Indians led 17-0 at halftime.
“We had to bring in an extra offensive lineman for blocking, because their defensive ends are so big, we couldn’t block them with our tight ends,” Nikkola said. “Once we figured out our blocking scheme and got our right guys blocking them, our running backs really started picking up steam.”
Davenport’s lone score came when junior Tate Foster came down with an Evan Gunning pass that was tipped by a Reardan defender for a 15-yard touchdown. The Gorillas struggled offensively, only managing seven points and fumbling three times a week after scoring just six and fumbling five times at Asotin. Reardan outgained Davenport 300 yards to 177.
“We improved from last week. We only put the ball on the ground three times, instead of five,” Davenport head coach Justin Young said. “You got to take the good with the bad. We’re young (and) we’re inexperienced.”
Nelson scored from six yards out with 2:16 left to seal Reardan’s win on the drive following Foster’s touchdown for Davenport. The sophomore also tied for the game-high in receiving yards, grabbing three Mahkai Anderson passes for 27 yards. His most important reception came on 4th-and-5 from the Davenport 30-yard-line on his scoring drive.
Senior Kobe Martinez was dominant defensively for Reardan, making 11 solo tackles (six of which were for a loss) and recording the game’s only sack.
Sophomore Brenick Soliday led Davenport with 62 rushing yards on 10 attempts. Senior Skyler Henry added 44 yards on nine attempts. Soliday also was key for Davenport defensively, leading the team with nine solo tackles. The Gorillas were missing injured senior running back Ethan Douse.
“Our offense is a little broken trying to find themselves right now. Our defense is solid,” Young said. “The scoring plays (Reardan) had was us missing some tackles. We were in position all game, but it comes down to tackling and missing tackles. I’m happy with the defense, but the offense really needs to improve.”
Reardan has a big game Friday, March 12 at Colfax (1-1), which could go a long way in determining who may participate in the 1st place seeding game at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Davenport will host Northwest Christian (0-1) the same night. Both games are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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