Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Garfield/Palouse offensive line breaks huddle inside the Colton five-yard line in the first half of a 90-56 win. Seen are the Vikings' Tanner Anderson (no. 60) and Jacob Anderson, (no. 50). On defense, Colton's no. 44, Jackson Meyer, directs Jaxon Moehrle (no. 3) Luke Vining is in the foreground.
Caden Sanderson fights for more yards Sept. 26 against Colton defenders. The Vikings host Touchet Friday for homecoming.
Parker Druffel threw spirals and slipped tacklers, Reece Chadwick and Luke Vining pulled in catches – over the shoulder, off of tipped balls, with defenders cloaking – Colton brought their horses for a Sept. 26 game at Palouse.
Gar/Pal brought draft horses.
The bigger boys of Garfield/Palouse faced the smaller, passing, cutting and running Colton team for a game which stayed close into the third quarter, but the Vikings' heft and strength on the offensive and defensive lines showed its effect.
More room to move, more effective blocks for Gar/Pal runners Ely Hawkins, quarterback Austin Jones and Caden Sanderson – who ran for 361 yards and six touchdowns in the game.
"Upfront was where our advantage was," said Vikings coach Garrett Parrish. "Our line went and did what they were supposed to do... We've got a pretty big line for eight-man standards."
The Vikings won 90-56, their second consecutive week scoring into the 90s.
Reports of a Viking Crew fundraiser for a third number slot on the scoreboard were unconfirmed.
Colton dropped to 3-2 in league (and overall) with the loss, in which Druffel went 25-for-48 passing for 467 yards, plus 157 yards rushing. A piece of his running total came late in the second quarter on a video game scramble that had him pressing the arrow forward, left, left, back, left, right, back, right, right, right, right, forward, forward, touchdown.
"Parker Druffel with a 67-yard run," called the game announcer, about the play that began at Gar/Pal's 18 yard-line.
Chadwick caught 13 passes in the game for 232 yards and Vining had eight catches for 108 yards.
In further numbers, for Gar/Pal, Jones ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Ely Hawkins had 82 yards and four touchdowns.
The Vikings led 50-42 at halftime before outscoring Colton 32-6 in the third quarter.
On defense, Jacob Reed, who injured his shoulder in the Sunnyside Christian game Sept. 7, returned to the backfield as Ethan Hawkins, another defensive back, led Gar/Pal in tackles with 10 – covering Chadwick one-on-one all game. Jones was on Vining, finishing with 8.5 tackles and an interception.
As for the line, Garfield/Palouse returned its whole offensive and defensive fronts from last year – mostly the same kids both ways, two and three-year starters: Tanner Anderson, Riley Pedersen., Tyson White, Ely Hawkins, Clayton Clarkson.
Gar/Pal is now 5-0 (league/overall), leading the Southeast 1B as the schedule turns to playing each team a second time.
The Vikings will play Touchet (0-5) this week for Homecoming – their first meeting this year since Touchet forfeited the Sept. 1 game because of a lack of eligible players.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday in Palouse.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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