GSL football: Christopher Wilson, Andrew Houndonougbo carry Cheney past Ridgeline

The Cheney Blackhawks football team has had a pretty tough go of it since moving up to the Class 3A ranks and joining the Greater Spokane League. Entering play this year, the Blackhawks had won just seven league games over five seasons, and no more than two in any of those campaigns.

But after two weeks, Cheney has already matched its season-high in GSL league wins.

Andrew Houndonougbo returned an interception and kickoff for touchdowns, Christopher Wilson carried for 75 yards and a score, and the visiting Blackhawks never trailed in a 35-6 win over Ridgeline in a GSL 4A/3A game on Friday.

The win follows Cheney’s 19-13 double-overtime win over Lewis and Clark last week and helps the Blackhawks keep pace with GSL bluebloods Gonzaga Prep, Mt. Spokane and Mead undefeated at the top of the league standings.

“We’re getting there,” Cheney coach John Graham said. “(The team) put the work in since last November when the season ended. Weight room, all there in the summer. The kids, they’ve earned it.”

Cheney won two games last season, the first under Graham, ending a 13-game losing streak that stretched back to 2022 in the process. Graham, with two college national championships as an assistant on his resume at Eastern Washington and Central Washington, knows a thing or two about how to put together a winning football team.

“All the big-time coaches will tell you, it’s a process,” Graham said. “Trust the process. This senior group had a bunch of goals at the end of the season last year. They wanted a winning season. They attacked the offseason. And that’s why they’ve got this.”

“We’ve got the best coach in the league, for sure,” Houndonougbo said. “Two-time national champion has just helped us with this mentality. … He knows everything about the game. Great teacher.”

Graham was especially pleased about holding Ridgeline to fewer than 200 yards in total offense.

“We were flying around, and we get a lot of hats to the ball every play, Graham said. “They might get a yard or two, but we’re putting six, seven guys on the ball carrier and swarming.

“That’s what we said when we took over that’s what we’re going to do. Swarm the football and play aggressive and get after people.”

On Ridgeline’s fourth play of the game, quarterback Kolton Peil tried a swing pass to his left and Houndonougbo read the play perfectly, stepping into the passing lane and snagging it at full steam at the Falcons 43. He went the distance untouched to put Cheney up 7-0 not 2 minutes in.

“First varsity touchdown,” the senior said. “I saw the (three wide receiver) set and I knew they were going to go bubble (route). … I saw it, he threw it, and I picked it.”

“When he goes, he can really go,” Graham said. “You saw the speed. So, it was pretty cool for him.”

On Ridgeline’s next series, the Falcons went for it on fourth-and-2 at its 40, but Colton Skinner was stuffed and they turned it over on downs.

Eight plays later quarterback Conner Collins plowed into the end zone behind the middle of his offensive line, and the extra point made it 14-0 with 2:26 left in the first quarter.

The teams traded punts, and Cheney got the ball back at its 15 midway through the second. Collins hit tight end Jackson Randall for 19 yards to move into Ridgeline territory and with 40 seconds left in the half, Wilson culminated a 14-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 lead at halftime.

Cheney’s Grayson Stewart blocked a punt early in the third, but the Blackhawks fumbled a lateral and gave it back to the Falcons at their 49. Facing third-and-2 at the 30, Peil hit Connor Long in stride streaking down the near sideline for a touchdown. The extra-point was wide right.

Houndonougbo took the kickoff at his 9, got through the first wave of Falcons, then hurdled the kicker en route to his second return touchdown of the game.

“My team blocked it perfectly for me,” Houndonougbo said. “They gave me a wide-open gap. I saw the guy go low and just had to hurdle him.”

Ridgeline turned it over on downs again and Cheney got the ball back at its 24. Fourteen plays and more than six minutes later, Collins connected with Ashton Huse in the end zone for a 35-6 lead with 5:45 to go.

Collins finished 6 of 10 for 78 yards.

“We knew we were running the ball early, and we said, we’re just going to keep running it. We’re going to melt clock,” Graham said. “And (Collins) did what he was supposed to do.”