A.C. Davis makes most of long road trip in 28-14 win over Rogers in nonleague opener

The A.C. Davis Pirates of Yakima came a long way for their Week 1 matchup, and they got the most out it. 

Noah Newkirk completed 20 of 36 pass attempts for 279 with three touchdowns and Davis beat Rogers 28-14 at ONE Spokane Stadium in both teams’ nonleague opener on Thursday.

D’Anthony Wiggens was Newkirk’s favorite receiver, hauling in eight catches for 124 yards and two TDs.

Joey Rock came off the bench at quarterback for Rogers with 11 carries for 69 yards. Rogers had 169 on the ground as a team.

“We showed tonight that we’re capable of running the ball. “There’s some things that we’ve got to work on in the pass game, but we were battling injuries,” Rogers coach Ryan Cole said. “But no excuses. (Davis) came out ready and prepared. They have a good team this year, I think. And, you know, we’ve got to execute better.”

Rogers scored both of its touchdowns in the fourth quarter after Davis built a 28-0 lead. Both teams had multiple players go down with cramping, and Rogers lost seniors Alex Peabody and Mikey Sanders early to injury.

“The conversation in the in the locker room was, sometimes in life you’re gonna take your licks, but don’t stay down. Fight back,” Cole said. “And so we talk about win or lose, we’ve got to do it with humility, and we’ve got to go down swinging.”

Rogers moved the ball well on its first possession, but Jerry Allen fumbled after a short reception to gave Davis the ball at the Rogers 46. Davis methodically moved the ball into the red zone, and Newkirk connected with Wiggens on an 11-yard corner route for a 7-0 lead.

Rogers got the ball back at its 11 and a long run by Malikye Fletcher II (11 carries, 79 yards) moved the Pirates into Davis territory. On second-and-long at the Davis 25, Coby Spurgin tried to hit Allen on a sideline route bit it was picked off by Davis’ Franco Ramos and returned to the 36.

Eleven plays later Davis faced fourth-and-28 at the Rogers 29, and Newkirk hit Wiggens in the back corner for a touchdown and 14-0 lead with 10:48 left in the half. 

Rogers ran it on 10 straight plays to move to the Davis 23, but two incompletions turned it over there on downs. Davis again walked it up field to the Rogers 32, but Rogers held on fourth down to regain possession. 

A punt gave Davis the ball at the Rogers 48, and Newkirk found Tevin Rorie down the sideline for 33 yards to the Rogers 15. On third down with 54 seconds left, Newkirk hit Blayne Worrell with a short pass, and he dragged tacklers into the end zone for a 21-0 lead at the half. 

Davis used an eight-play, 53-yard drive, culminated by a LaDainian Dennis 7-yard run, to take a 28-0 lead late in the third quarter.

Rogers got on the board on the second play of the fourth, as Rock ran it in from 15 yards then tossed a two-point conversion to make it 28-8. 

Rogers recovered the onside kick and went 56 yards over eight plays, aided by two penalties, and Brandon Lee Sanchez barreled into the end zone from 3 yards out. The conversion failed, and Davis led 28-14 with 7:16 left. 

Davis chewed up most of that with another long drive that eventually stalled at the Rogers 13 with 1:37 left. 

Rogers travels to 2B Freeman next Friday.