‘I’m proud of our kids’: University beats Ferris 30-10 to earn first win of season on homecoming

Points have been few and far between for the University Titans and Ferris Saxons football teams this season.

Entering a showdown Friday between the winless teams, neither had scored more than 14 points in a game.

In fact, Ferris had scored 26 in five games and University 39 in the same span.

The Titans and Saxons are ranked next to last and last in total offense among Greater Spokane League 4A/3A teams.

So something had to give.

The Titans took advantage of visiting Ferris’ mistakes, forging a 30-10 victory in a mistake-filled game.

“Somebody was going to leave here with a win,” Titans first-year coach Joe Ireland said. “I’m proud of our kids. They stayed together.

“It’s been a hard five weeks. It’s a tough league.”

U-Hi added a touchdown late after Ferris had pulled within 24-10. Leyton Hurley, a sophomore making his first start at quarterback, executed a play-action pass perfectly, hitting Grant Peterson in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown to provide the final margin with 23 seconds remaining.

“This helps buoy us through the rest of October,” Ireland said. “It’s hard to keep kids’ spirits up when they’re unsuccessful. This is their homecoming and they’ll get to celebrate and have fun tonight at the dance, and do all the things that a high school homecoming is all about.”

On the Saxons’ second offensive play of the game, U-Hi safety Chase Way returned a fumble 20 yards just a minute into the game.

“That definitely got the game rolling,” U-Hi junior running back Paxon Cunanan said. “That’s where it all started. That’s where the momentum came from.”

Ferris got Isaac Ott’s 32-yard field goal to pull within 7-3, and that’s where the score would stand after the first quarter.

Aiden Lymuel gathered a short Ferris punt at the Saxons’ 43-yard line and dashed to the 22 to set up the Titans’ second touchdown.

Hurley sneaked in from 1 yard out to extend U-Hi’s lead to 14-3 with 7:21 remaining before halftime.

Moments later, Bobby Jones intercepted Ferris quarterback John Olson, giving U-Hi possession at the Saxons’ 43.

Five plays later, Jones hauled in a 13-yard TD pass from Hurley. U-Hi’s lead advanced to 21-3 with 4:55 to go in the half.

U-Hi (1-5) went into halftime with a comfortable advantage.

Friday may have been the last chance for either team to get a victory. Each team faces stiff tests the final three weeks of the season.

Hurley and Cunanan led the Titans on the ground. Hurley finished with 67 yards on 14 carries and Cunanan had 66 on 15 attempts.