Hudson Dayton moves up the receiving record list, Central Valley shuts out Ferris 35-0

Central Valley senior receiver Hudson Dayton may not get as much attention as others in the Greater Spokane League, but he’s earned a spot in the record books.

Dayton caught 10 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday, leading the host Bears to a 35-0 win over Ferris in a GSL 4A/3A game.

In the process, Dayton moved into a tie for the eighth-most catches in a single season with 50. In addition, he’s 76 yards from moving into the top 10 in that season category.

No one with CV, including Dayton, was aware of his climb up the receptions list. 

“Amazing,” he said. “I didn’t know, that made my day.”

“That’s awesome to hear,” Central Valley coach Ryan Butner said. “And no pressure from him or any of our coaches. It’s just natural, which is the way it should be.”

“Just whatever gets the offense going, I guess,” Dayton said.

“He’s a playmaker for us and we try to get him the ball,” Butner said. “We don’t force it to him.

“We have pretty good weapons on the outside – all four of our receivers – and when we lengthen our plays, he finds a way to get open and (quarterback) Dylan (Gravelle) can lengthen plays with his feet. So, he usually finds (Dayton) down the field.”

With the win, Central Valley (4-4, 4-3) moves closer to securing the second 4A seed to the Week 10 crossovers and a home playoff game. CV finishes the regular season next week against University.

“We’ve been on the road quite a bit for playoffs in the past,” Butner said. “It’d be nice to be able to play home, whoever it might be. But it just gives us another chance to play in our stadium, which is comfortable to us, and in front of our fans.”

“That’s all you can ask for – another home game,” senior linebacker Brandon Thomas said. “As many as possible. I can’t explain the feeling playing at home.”

Gravelle finished 22 of 31 for 264 yards with five TD passes. 

The Bears defense limited Ferris to 100 total yards. 

“We take pride in what we do,” Thomas said of the defensive effort. “That’s why there’s zero on that board. We go out every play and we try to give it as much effort every play and that’s all I can ask.”

Ferris (1-7, 0-7) took the opening kickoff and moved into CV territory but fumbled at the Bears 28.

Central Valley took advantage, going 72 yards in nine plays, the last a 35-yard touchdown pass from Gravelle to Elliot Beal for a 7-0 lead.

After a short Ferris punt, CV got the ball back at the Saxons 35. Ten plays later, Gravelle hit Landon Minnick on a crossing pattern for a 9-yard TD and 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The teams traded punts the rest of the half, and CV led by two touchdowns at intermission.

Butner wasn’t happy with his offense’s production in the first half.

“And I let them know about it at halftime,” he said. “Our sense of urgency, which has been an issue with us all year, I believe we have spurts of it, but we’re inconsistent in that in that piece. They responded really well in the locker room.”

Late in the third quarter, CV got the ball back at its 21. Gravelle scrambled left and found Dayton on third-and-long for 43 yards into Ferris territory.

“The corner was sitting on the sideline and I just kind of sat in that hole,” Dayton said. I saw my quarterback scrambling, and he made a great throw.”

On fourth-and-9 from the 35, Dayton got behind the defense, and Gravelle lobbed it to him down the sideline for a touchdown catch-and-run, putting the Bears up 21-0.

Midway through the fourth quarter, CV defensive back Trey Schmaltz came up with an interception in the Ferris end. Three plays later, Gravelle hit Beal on an 18-yard touchdown pass for a 28-0 lead. Beal finished with five catches for 67 yards.

A few minutes later, Gravelle added a 24-yard touchdown pass to Kimoni Davis.

After the game, Dayton had already shifted his attention to U-Hi.

“We just got to get the job done next week, and then we’re set to make a run in the playoffs.”