Colfax cages Gorillas offense to claim fourth place in NE

Davenport's Gavin Boggs gets stopped by Gunnar Aune (top) and Hunter Claassen late in Friday's homecoming game at Colfax. Blake Holman (84) is in the background for the Bulldogs.

After trading scores with Davenport in the first quarter of their homecoming game Friday night, Colfax football players locked down the Gorillas' offense and scored three more times in the first half. The two teams battled again in the second half, but Colfax booked the last score early in the final quarter for a 34-8 verdict.

Colfax and Davenport collided with matching 3-3 records, and the win by the Bulldogs moves them into fourth place behind the NE league's big three, Northwest Christian, Liberty and Asotin, with two league rounds left.

Mary Walker of Springdale, which is now 0-7 in the league, will visit here for the Bulldogs' last home game.

Colfax Friday booked the 34-8 league win over the Gorillas after being battered by Northwest Christian and Liberty in the previous two league rounds.

The Bulldogs Friday scored first with Christopher Jones scoring on a plunger at 8:11 in the first quarter. Dane Hall ran in the conversion attempt for two more points.

Davenport signaled the showdown game could be a brawl when they came right back with a scoring drive with sophomore Evan Johnson scoring on an eight-yard run.

After that, Colfax did all the scoring with Hall booking three TDs before the halftime break. Hall finished the game with a total of 177 yards on 21 carries with an average of 8.4 for the game.

He booked his first TD on a 10-yard run with 58 seconds left in the first quarter.

Davenport fumbled the ball on its next possession, and Jon Klaveano recovered for Colfax.

Colfax hit on a pass play which went all the way to the five-yard line, but the play was partially erased on a penalty. Colfax worked out of a first-and-20 on a pass from Caleb Brown, who was back in the lineup Friday, to Jared Kneale, and Hall later scored on an eight-yard plunger. The conversion run was stopped.

Davenport then faltered again with a fumble which was recovered by Colfax senior Jared Thompson.

Hall scored again in a five-yard plunger with 55 seconds left in the half, and Blake Bodey ran for the extra points for a 28-8 Colfax lead at the break.

Davenport early in the second half threatened on a long pass play to Mitchell McCrea, which moved the ball to the 22, but the Bulldog defense held on the next four plays.

Colfax then drove the football all the way downfield, but Davenport's Loran Boggs picked off a would-be scoring pass in the end zone to end a no-score third quarter.

Davenport failed to make hay with the interception when they were called for holding. Klaveano then dropped the Gorilla QB Jaden Flett on the two-yard line. The Gorillas punted, and Colfax recovered the ball on the 20-yard line.

Brown again found Kneale, who was all alone in the middle of the Gorilla defense, and the senior receiver scored on the 20-yard play with 10:21 left in the game.

The three-way race among the state's NE power teams narrowed in the Friday night round when Northwest Christian defeated Liberty 36-26 Friday on the Lancers' field. The win puts the Crusaders on top of the league with a 7-0 mark.

Liberty and Asotin are now tied at 6-1 in second place.

Another top end collision is slated this week when the Crusaders host Asotin. A win by the Panthers would leave three 6-1 teams on top of the league; a win by the Crusaders would put them on top with one round to go.

Colfax would face the league's third-place finisher in the first playoff round if they hold the fourth-place slot through the last two league rounds.

Northwest Christian and Liberty were ranked second and third in the state's 2B rankings before Friday's showdown.

Other scores in the league campaign last week were Asotin 41-Reardan 6, Lind/Ritzville/Sprague 38-Springdale 0 and Kettle Falls 32-Wilbur/Creston 14.

Colfax team statistics: 357 total yards, 3-6 passing for 62 yards, 39 for 295 yards rushing, 3 penalties for 25 yards, 2 turnovers, 19:20 time of possession, 13 first downs rushing, 3 passing.

Davenport team statistics: 211 total yards, 1 for 4 passing for 33 yards, 51 for 178 yards passing, 4 penalties for 25 yards, 2 turnovers, 28:40 time of possession, 10 first downs rushing, 1 passing.

Colfax individual statistics: passing-Caleb Brown, 3-62 yards; rushing-Dane Hall 21-177 yards; Brown 6-60; Christopher Jones 6-22, Blake Bodey 3-18; Dakota Hall, 1-15; Matthew Neu 2-3; receiving-Jared Kneale, 3-62, tackles-Jones 8, Hall 6, Jared Thompson 4, Kneale, Brown, Bodey, Jon Klaveano, Dillon Meserve, each 3.