Rogers junior quarterback Deon Kinsey scores five touchdowns in 41-21 win over North Central
When a program struggles for several years, success is measured in smaller increments. A league title may be out of grasp, but each win represents a milestone.
Such was the case Thursday night when Rogers faced North Central at Union Stadium. A win for either team would have been huge to finish the regular season.
It turned out to be a good night to be a Pirate.
Deon Kinsey carried 14 times for 150 yards with five touchdowns and Rogers topped North Central 41-21 in a Greater Spokane League 2A finale.
“It feels good,” Kinsey said. “It feels really good, but all thanks to the O-line for it though.”
The win was Rogers’ third of the season and second in league, the first time the Pirates (3-6, 2-4) have won two league games since 2015. North Central fell to 0-7, 0-6 in the GSL.
Kinsey, a junior, knew the significance of the win.
“It feels great, no other way to put,” he said.
“Definitely feels good, 3-6,” junior receiver Hartman Warrick said. “Hopefully next year we come back, and we dominate.
“It feels good, but it’s just a little step in what we’re trying to accomplish in the future.”
“We’ve talked about it, and we haven’t had a lot of success the last few years,” Rogers coach Mike Dewey said. “Our kids have really bought in and played hard and played tough and so just very proud as a coach and for all of our coaching staff.”
Both teams will play in a Week 10 crossover against a Central Washington Athletic Conference team next week. But the Pirates can’t help but to think about the future of the program.
“We got a game next week, we don’t know who it’s against,” Kinsey said. “But offseason our O-line, all our skill players are gonna get in the weight room, get stronger. Bulk up, get smarter in the game. And for sure gonna come out hot and ready to play.”
The Pirates benefitted from a big play early, as Jashon Moore returned the opening kickoff 83 yards to the NC 13. Four plays later, Kinsey took it in from the 2, and the Pirates jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
The Wolfpack (0-7, 0-6) started their first drive at their 30 and went 10 plays, culminating in a 19-yard TD pass from junior QB Tommy Elliott to his brother, ninth-grader Nicholas Elliott, to tie it.
Rogers got the ball back at the 50. Kinsey broke a second-down run to the outside and went 43 yards for a score and 14-7 lead.
The Pirates forced a punt and took over at their 40. Kinsey went 25 yards to the NC 25. On third-and-7 at the 10, he took a counter play off-tackle for his third touchdown of the half. The kick missed, and Rogers led 20-7 with just more than 9 minutes in the half.
Kinsey feels he has the confidence of his teammates to run on third-and-long.
“When I’m in the huddle and it’s crunch time, they’re gonna look at me. I’m gonna look at them they know it’s gonna be time to do business.”
“He’s a special player, and just a special kid,” Dewey said of Kinsey. “I’ve coached talented kids, but he is a guy that is – he understands what it takes to win and will do the things that it takes to win. And he is a great, great teammate.”
NC put together a 16-play drive to get to the Rogers 3, but the drive stalled and Brandon Huynh’s 20-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Gordon Warrick.
NC got the ball to start the half but fumbled on first down, recovered by Rogers’ Samuel Radford at the NC 12. Two plays later, Moore went around left end for an 8-yard TD run and Rogers went up 27-7.
After a punt, Rogers faced third-and-13 at the NC 30. Kinsey faked a handoff, went up the middle and burst outside and went the distance to push the lead to 34-7.
The Wolfpack got something going in the fourth quarter. Tommy Elliott hit a succession of passes to move into Pirates territory, then Trey Workman took a middle screen 32 yards to the Rogers 1.
On second-and-goal, the Elliott brothers hooked up on a slant from 3 yards out for their second scoring connection of the game.
But Rogers came right back. Moore took a pitch for 41 yards to the NC 37, and three plays later Kinsey went into the end zone for his fifth score, this time from 14 yards to make it 41-14.
Warrick had praise for his quarterback.
“My little brother played a great game – five touchdowns in one night? Great stat.”
Late in the fourth quarter, Workman took another screen 47 yards, this time getting into the end zone for the Wolfpack and trimming the deficit to 41-21.
Dewey praised his seniors as “foundational kids” for the program before turning one eye toward the future.
“We’re young, and so we’ll have most of our guys back next year,” he said. “Hopefully – cross your fingers – hopefully that leads to some pretty good success as we move forward.”
Maybe a five-touchdown game will open some eyes around the league – and the state – about Kinsey’s potential.
“I know they’re still gonna sleep on me,” he said, “but they gonna see next year for sure.”