Colfax shakes off mistakes for big win at Gorillaville

It was a case of the first half and the second half Friday night when Colfax pegged a 38-18 win over Davenport for their first league win of the season. The Bulldogs gave up four turnovers in the first half and Davenport pegged a 10-6 lead at the break.

Levi Hardy rolled up 130 yards on the ground at Davenport Friday. Many of those gains started on blocks like Daython Maltone's displacement of a Gorilla defender in this photo by Keith Miller.

During an extended halftime when Davenport officials dedicated new facilities, Colfax coaches told the club to put the first half aside and do what they do in the second half to travel home with a win. The result was 32 straight Colfax points to put the league tilt on ice.

“We just said we’re going to get the kickoff after the half, and we’re going to drive it the length of the field, take a 14-10 lead, and take control of the ball game,” Coach Mike Morgan said.

Colfax rolled up 321 yards against the Gorillas on 44 carries. Fullback Levi Hardy packed the ball 15 times for 130 yards and scored two of the TDs.

“Our trap plays were working so well behind our line, that we just gave it to Levi and he went up the middle. Davenport really had no way to stop it,” Morgan said.

Arron Arneson, Daython Maltone, Brent Conrad, Cole Neu and John Mellor were credited with executing the line power to launch Levi.

Cole Klaveano and Brent Conrad put the squeeze on a Gorilla gain. (Keith Miller photo)

The Colfax defensive line also earned credits in the first half for damage control in the wake of four Colfax turnovers.

After the Bulldogs marched down the field at the start of the game, they spilled the ball on about the five yard line. They did it again later in the half, and Davenport also picked off an interception deep in the red zone.

“We really gave them three scoring opportunities in the first half,” Morgan said.

Davenport netted three points on a field goal after the first Colfax fumble. They collected zero points after the second mistake and the third time the Gorillas scored a TD and kicked the point for a 10-6 lead at the break.

Hardy scored one of his TDs in the second quarter.

After the break Hardy scored a second TD, Quarterback Justin Berarducci escaped on an 11-yard TD run to roll up 16 beans in the third quarter.

Berarducci hit Jay Hart for another score on a short pass and Skyler Simonson on a two-point shot in the fourth quarter, and Kellen McNannay ran in the last TD for in the 32-point outburst.

Davenport scored their last TD late on a pass from Noah Lilje to Ryan Zeller, a 75 -yard zap after the game had been turned over to the reserves.

The Gorillas finished with 36 yards rushing on 25 plays and a 9-13-118 passing mark.

Colfax this Friday will host Liberty, a young team which has had tough assignments for the first two weeks of the season. Liberty will arrive after sustaining a 0-48 loss to Springdale in their league opener.

In other league action, Reardan edged Kettle Falls 21-14 to also post a 2-0 mark. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague dropped Kittitas 36-13 in a non-leaguer.