Shadle Park overwhelmed by Sageview passing attack in 54-7 home loss | GSL football

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Sep. 10—There will be better days for the Shadle Park football team. But one of the league's proud programs with a rich tradition is going through some rough times.

Shadle Park dressed 30 for Friday's game against Mid-Columbia Conference opponent Sageview of Pasco — but most of the starters played both ways against the visiting Lobos, who suited up at least a dozen more players than their hosts.

The Shadle Park and Sageview football teams combined for one win last year. And while the Highlanders lost their season opener last week to Greater Spokane League 2A rival Rogers, the Lobos knocked off 2A Fife to get off to a good start in the current campaign.

The visitors — in just their second year of existence — continued that strong start. And the hosts must pick up their heads and find a way to get past a stinging defeat heading into the league portion of their schedule.

Sageview junior quarterback Alex Flores Moreno threw six touchdown passes and the Lobos beat the Highlanders 54-7 at ONE Spokane Stadium on Thursday.

Moreno finished 21 of 37 for 390 yards. Sageview running back Eli Henderson scored four touchdowns — one on the ground, three through the air. Receiver Jaysen Beasley had three touchdown catches, including a 95-yard catch and run.

"The message before the game this morning was just, we have to start playing four quarters of football together," Shadle Park coach Jim Mace said. "We have a lot of plays where you have four or five guys do their job and other guys don't, and football is one of the few sports where you need all 11 doing things, or the football naturally finds you. That's kind of where we are right now."

The Lobos (2-0) threw on almost every play of the game — including the second half with a running clock. They intentionally rushed the ball just five times and threw 45 passes.

"(Sageview's) last game they had like 86% pass, so they kind of did what they wanted," Mace said. "We drew up what we could on the defense, and we've just got to make plays. It's one of those things where you get kind of tired of saying 'We're so close.' I mean, our kids are playing hard. They're communicating like we ask them to. But varsity football teams take advantage of you when you don't get in the right spot."

Up next for Shadle Park (0-2) is perennial league contender Mt. Spokane.

"That's a scary thought," Mace said. "We have to find a way, and starts with me. I've got to find a way to get these guys a little bit more prepared, I suppose."

Sageview returned the opening kickoff to its 27, then methodically used a series of short passes to work out to midfield. Moreno scrambled out of the pocket and connected with Carson Crosby for 34 yards to the Shadle 11. Henderson took it up the middle for the last 5 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.

Shadle fumbled the kickoff and Sageview got the ball back at the Highlanders' 26. Two plays later, Henderson took a swing pass to the right side for a 4-yard TD catch and a 14-0 lead.

Evan Tilton returned the kickoff to the Sageview 45, but Shadle went backward on three plays. The Highlanders tried a long pass on fourth down, which was slightly overthrown, and turned it over on downs.

Henderson took a draw play 42 yards to the Shadle 2 and on third-and-goal Moreno pulled it down for a 3-yard TD run and a 21-0 lead.

The mistakes kept coming for Shadle Park. On the next possession, QB Titan Rucker was fighting for an extra yard and was stripped by the Lobos defense, and Sageview took over at the 24. On the next play, Moreno hit a wide-open Beasley in the middle of the end zone for another TD.

The extra point was no good, and Sageview led 27-0 with 3:13 left in the first quarter.

Shadle's first first down of the game came on the next series on a 40-yard pass from Rucker to Deon Weston. Rucker hit Weston for 12 yards to the Sageview 18, but his third-and-20 pass was picked off by Henderson and the Lobos took the ball at their 15.

On third-and-20 at the Lobo's 5, Moreno hit Beasley on a slant, and the senior receiver went the length of the field for a TD and 34-0 lead.

Shadle finally caught a break early in the second, when Sageview fumbled a punt at its 30, recovered by Shadle's Justyce Enger at the Lobo's 30.

On third-and-2 at the 12, Jaxon Clark carried for six yards to the Sageview 6. But on fourth-and-goal from the 7, Brady Buckna's field goal attempt was blocked.

Eight plays later, Moreno flipped it out to Henderson for a two-yard TD pass and Sageview led 41-0. After Shadle turned it over on downs again, Sageview went 50 yards in six plays, culminated with another Moreno TD to Henderson, this time from 20 yards out, with 13 seconds left in the half and the Lobos led 48-0.

After Sageview threw another touchdown pass in the third quarter, Shadle Park broke up the shutout with a 10-play, 72-yard drive led by backup quarterback Dominick Chavez, culminated by Cole Dwire's 17-yard touchdown run with 7:13 left.

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