Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
It rained on homecoming for the Gar-Pal Vikings Friday night in a 64-22 loss to Colton.
Senior quarterback Jake Straughan led the Wildcats with 13 of 16 passing for 273 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 148 yards on six carries. Senior Dalton Patchen caught seven passes for 180 yards.
The game began with Gar-Pal’s Tyler Thurman getting loose on several runs, finished by a 12-yard touchdown and two-point conversion. The Vikings led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter before Straughan stood in the pocket with time and hit Dalton Patchen for a 40-yard touchdown.
With the game tied, Colton then recovered a Gar-Pal fumble and scored two plays later with a another throw from Straughan to Patchen for a 33-yard touchdown.
Colton scored again after a blocked punt when Straughan ran around end untouched.
After the two-point conversion pass to Carter Dahmen, Colton led 24-8.
The Vikings responded, however, with a 57-yard touchdown pass play from junior quarterback Hunter Woltering to Jesse Lopez. Woltering ran in the conversion and Gar-Pal was back in it, 24-16.
But it wasn’t long before Straughan threw another high spiral like a spinning top to Patchen, who outran the Vikings’ Lopez in the backfield for a 75-yard touchdown.
Up 32-16, Colton scored twice more before the half, one touchdown a touchdown a run by Dillon Frank and a five-yard throw from Straughan to Jordan Druffel for 48-16.
To start the second half, Colton walked out in the dark from the locker rooms down at the school in a line of white figures side by side, a flashlight flickering. Looking like something from Haunted Palouse, they were either going to step in unison to an eerie beat or come out and score four more touchdowns.
They did the latter -- it was really only two, though, while Gar-Pal got another touchdown on a 17-yard run from Cole Sanderson.
The Wildcats finished the scoring with an 80-yard run outside untouched by Straughan.
"I think we played well for only about a quarter," said Gar-Pal coach Scott Thompson. "We made mistakes and weren’t able to overcome them."
The Vikings played the game without starting running back/linebacker Kevin Knauff, a senior, who is out due to an injury concern.
This week the Vikings again play at home vs. defending state champion Liberty Christian.
Colton plays at home vs. LaCrosse-Washtucna.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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