Crusaders spoil Reardan's senior night

REARDAN - Northwest Christian spoiled Reardan's Senior Night with a 42-26 win Friday, but not before the Screaming Eagles pulled even with the state's top-ranked 2B team in the fourth quarter.

Reardan honored 13 seniors before kickoff, then took the first lead of the night when Lakota Eldred threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Treyson Singleton. Colton Newman answered with a 9-yard touchdown run, and it was 6-6 after one quarter.

Singleton's 4-yard run put Reardan back in front 12-6 in the second quarter. Northwest Christian tied it on Adin Spuler's 20-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Somes, then struck again just before halftime. Backed up at their own 5-yard line with less than a minute left, the Crusaders went the length of the field in one play when Spuler hit Newman for a 95-yard touchdown. Braylon Comfort ran in the two-point try for a 20-12 halftime lead.

"That was a difference maker for them for sure, because then they got the ball to start the second half," Reardan coach Matt Clouse said. "You could tell our boys were disappointed, but I don't think they held on to it. I think they flipped the page."

Eldred said the play was harder to shake than Clouse realized.

"Everybody got in their heads after that," he said.

Spuler found Comfort for a 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it 26-12. Reardan kept coming. Eldred hit Gavin Wynecoop for a 34-yard score, then tied the game with 9:45 left on a 5-yard pass to HK Bird. Bird ran in the two-point conversion, and it was 26-26.

The tie lasted one play. After the kickoff, Somes took Northwest Christian's first snap 57 yards for a touchdown, and the Crusaders added another score to put it away.

"The boys played tough," Clouse said. "I think that's Northwest's closest game in quite a few weeks. We've been talking to the boys about playing smart and tough, and this game it came together."

Reardan's plan was to keep the ball away from the Crusaders.

"They're pretty explosive," Clouse said. "We had to keep the ball out of their hands."

The Screaming Eagles ran 52 times for 279 yards, converted 10 of 15 third downs and finished with more total yards than the Crusaders, 386-380. Singleton carried 25 times for 161 yards.

"Trey played amazing," Eldred said. "Every play, he was telling me to give him the ball."

Clouse credited the blocking up front.

"All of the running backs are blocking really well for each other," he said. "The line guys, they had their best game this game too."

Eldred completed 8 of 15 passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns, and Mavrick Frolov caught two passes for 59 yards and ran five times for 41. Reardan was flagged five times for 60 yards, an improvement Clouse noticed.

"We didn't get too many drives off track with the penalties," he said. "That's been a problem this year."

Northwest Christian needed far fewer plays. Spuler threw only 10 passes, completing seven for 167 yards and three touchdowns. Newman caught three passes for 130 yards, and Somes ran 10 times for 96.

Eldred said Reardan left chances on the field.

"We could have played more physical. We could have executed on more plays, but it didn't work out that way," he said. "Northwest Christian's team is really good. They're going to be tough to beat."

Clouse said the message all week was about the seniors.

"Play for each other, play for your seniors," he said. "As a squad, they played well."

Northwest Christian improved to 7-0 and stays atop the Northeast 2B. Reardan (2-5) travels to Lind-Ritzville-Sprague on Friday, Oct. 23.