Tristan Olson grabs late touchdown pass, Mt Spokane defense makes it hold up in win over Gonzaga Prep

There was plenty on the line on Friday.

Gonzaga Prep could clinch the Greater Spokane League 4A/3A regular-season title. Mt. Spokane could snatch the tiebreaker and set up a dramatic showdown against its Mead School District rival next week.

The game lived up to the stakes.

Tristan Olson caught a late touchdown pass from T.J. Haberman, the Mt. Spokane defense created two turnovers in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats beat the Bullpups 31-27.

The win, coupled with Mead’s 41-7 win over Cheney, sets up the “Battle of the Bell” next week to decide the GSL title and the top 3A seed to the Week 10 “Round of 32” – and a potential home playoff game.

“Battle of the Bell. Yeah, it’s a big one,” Mt. Spokane coach Terry Cloer said. “You know, they put it at end of the year and we’ve never had it the end of the year. And now it’s kind of prophetic that it’s the last game.”

“Biggest (game) of the year,” Haberman said of the Mead game next week. “It’s for the 3A and for the GSL title. We got to win it. An important week.”

Olson finished with five catches for 100 yards while Haberman completed 15 of 22 passing attempts for 262 yards with three TDs. Matteo Saccomanno, who started his high school career at G-Prep, rushed 19 times for 111 yards and a score.

Olson picked a good game to step up for the Wildcats (7-1, 7-0 GSL).

“I think the coaches were just kind of like keeping me on the downlow, just in case,” he said. “But I feel like I came through tonight.”

“We just have of stable of skill guys,” Cloer said, “and, you know, when a guy gets an opportunity like (Olson) did tonight, he stepped up and made the plays.

“He’s a great athlete and he made the plays tonight when they were presented to him.”

Gonzaga Prep (6-2, 6-1) had five ball carriers gain at least 37 yards, led by Noah Holman with 16 carries for 92 yards with two TDs.

“Great game,” Gonzaga Prep coach Dave McKenna said. “They’re gonna do really well. Both them and Mead, they’re really, really, really good 3As.

“They made plays and we didn’t, let’s be honest – we had the opportunity to make a few plays and we didn’t. They did.”

The Bullpups led 27-24 with 10½ minutes left.

Haberman hit Olson for 34 yards to the G-Prep 33, then again from 17 yards to put Mt. Spokane back in the lead.

“I was running a post,” Olson said. “And I saw T.J. rolling out, so then I just cut it outside and he threw it up right to me. It was nice.”

G-Prep had fourth-and-8 from its 47 and JoJo Shortell hit Bo Howell for 14 yards. On the next play, Holman was stripped and Mt. Spokane’s Jack Siclair recovered at its 29 with 4:42 to go.

After converting one fourth-down attempt with 2:19 left, Mt. Spokane punted to the G-Prep 10 with 1:03 left.

With G-Prep facing fourth-and-6 on its 35, Shortell rolled right and tried to hit a receiver on an out route, but Maverick Kincaid stepped in front for an interception to seal the win.

“Our defense did the job and it just felt great,” Mt. Spokane linebacker Jackson Hale said. “I mean, we did what we’re supposed to do and we did it whenever it mattered.”

On the third play of the game, Shortell ran a play-action pass and hit Howell streaking down the middle of the field for a 50-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was blocked, and G-Prep led 6-0 early.

Mt. Spokane bounced right back. Haberman hit Olson for 15 yards out to midfield, then on third-and-17 connected with wide-open Bradley Runge for a 37-yard touchdown catch-and-run. The extra point by sophomore Hunter McKee made it 7-6.

“We have the long balls a little bit, but we do have a short game, too,” Haberman said. “Got a bunch of short stuff that opened up the deep pass for sure.”

After the teams traded punts, G-Prep took over at its 25. The Bullups went on a 14-play drive, culminated by Holman’s 4-yard TD run to go up 13-7.

On fourth-and-16 at the G-Prep 30, Haberman scrambled to his left and Olson made a leaping grab at the 6 between two defenders. The drive stalled there, and the Wildcats settled for a 21-yard field goal by Reese Carlsen.

Mt. Spokane recovered a fumble at the 50. Two plays later, Haberman found Boden Gardner down the right sideline for a 39-yard touchdown and the Wildcats took a 17-13 lead with 3:38 left in the half.

That was more than enough time for Gonzaga Prep to score again.

The Bullpups attacked the edges of the Wildcats defense and marched 79 yards in 10 plays, the last a 6-yard TD run by Holman. G-Prep led 20-17 at the half.

After Gonzaga Prep kicked the second-half kickoff out of bounds, Mt. Spokane started at its 47. On fourth-and-1 at the G-Prep 39, Saccomanno burst up the middle and went the distance, giving the Wildcats a 24-20 lead.

It stayed that way until the fourth quarter. Gonzaga Prep used 13 plays to get to first-and-goal at the 1. The Wildcats stopped Lilomaiava Mikaele short twice, but the back got a third crack at it and he plowed in for the score.

Hale had the last word about next week’s matchup.

“I’m excited. I’m ready for our boys to go to battle and we’re gonna keep that bell.”