Keegan Mallon rushes for 269 yards, 5 touchdowns; Mead handles Ridgeline 62-26
The Mead Panthers are on a collision course toward the top seed in the Greater Spokane League 4A division.
The Panthers rushed unofficially for 526 yards, led by Keegan Mallon with 24 carries for 269 yards with five touchdowns, and cruised to a 62-26 win over Ridgeline on Thursday.
Jimmy Frahm added 104 yards with a touchdown and quarterback JJ Leman had 90 yards on four carries with two TDs.
“The plan coming into this week, we thought we could run the ball,” Mead coach Keith Stamps said. “That’s our belief every week, you know, we can line up and run the ball right at people, and it helps when you’ve got a couple of good backs and a quarterback that can pull it and a big offensive line. Proud of those guys tonight.”
It’s the second week in a row that Ridgeline, a 3A state playoff qualifier last season, surrendered 60-plus points.
“We did a good job tonight. The first half was really good football,” Stamps said. “We gave up a couple of things on defense in the second half, but overall, I mean, you put 62 on the board … Ridgeline’s got good players, and is well coached. So, yeah, I feel good about tonight.”
“I would say it was good complete game,” Mallon said. “Offense had a bunch of good drives. It was a little lack on the defense, but it’s all good. We all came together.”
“We’re really just looking for wins,” Frahm said. “I mean, it just feels good to get the team win and have everybody participate.”
Mead faces 3A opponent Cheney (1-4) next week, then a showdown against undefeated Gonzaga Prep looms on Oct. 25 in the de facto 4A title game.
It could mean the difference between a home game and having to travel over the pass for a “Round of 32” game to reach the state bracket.
Mead (6-0) caught the first break of the game, when Braden Powers intercepted Landon Garner at the Ridgeline 35 and took it back to the 20. Mallon went off-tackle for 19, then took a direct snap into the end zone. The kick was blocked, and Mead led 6-0 not 3 minutes in.
Allen returned the kickoff to the Mead 49 and after converting a fourth-and-1, Garner found Lincoln Duggan on a fly patter for a 33-yard touchdown. The kick failed, and it was tied at 6.
The Panthers went on a 13-play, 70-yard drive, culminated by Mallon’s second 1-yard TD plunge. He added the conversion and Mead went up 14-6.
On the touchdown plays, Mead lined Mallon up as single wing with three other big backs in the backfield with him.
“It’s a great play,” Mallon said. “I don’t think that’s stoppable.”
On the first play of the second quarter, Frahm took a double handoff 41 yards for a touchdown for a 21-6 lead.
Ridgeline (2-4) went three-and-out for the second consecutive possession and Leman took the first play after the punt 89 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-6.
The Falcons turned it over on downs at their 43. Mallon went for 21 with a 10-yard horse collar penalty tacked on, then Leman went 11 yards for his second score and a 35-6 lead with just under 8 minutes left in the half.
Mead wasn’t done. After another punt they went right down the field and Mallon scored his third TD of the half from 3 yards out. The Panthers led 42-6 at the half.
Garner hit Allen on a slant on the first play of the third quarter and the GSL’s career receiving yardage leader went 72 yards for a touchdown. Mead answered with a 21-yard TD pass from Leman to Matt McShane, then Ridgeline went deep again, this time Garner to Duggan for a 73-yard score.
The Falcons got a stop, then Garner hit Allen for a 24-yard score to make it 49-26 with just more than 3 minutes left in the third.
But Ridgeline had no answer for Mallon, and the senior added TD runs of 40 and 14 yards to stretch the lead to 62-26.
“We were just taking what we were getting and just really just doing our best at what works,” Frahm said.
Garner finished 19 of 41 for 323 yards with four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Allen made five catches for 131 yards with two TDs.