Sam Kincaid throws four TD passes in first half, Gonzaga Prep cruises past Shadle Park 63-0

Thursday’s game was already a tough assignment for one-win Shadle Park facing undefeated Gonzaga Prep – the Highlanders had been shut out three of their last four games and had given up 61 points in a game twice.

But pregame warmups saw starting quarterback Justyce Enger in street clothes, forcing receiver Dominick Chavez into emergency duty as the signal caller.

The Bullpups (6-0), one of the top teams in the state in the 4A classification, controlled every facet of the game and cruised to a 63-0 win at ONE Spokane Stadium. Leading 56-0 at halftime, the entire second half was played under a running clock and was over in roughly a half hour. 

G-Prep senior quarterback Sam Kincaid, who missed last week’s game due to a non-injury related matter, went 6 of 7 for 119 yards with four touchdown passes. Fellow senior Isaiah Docken caught two of those TDs – from 7 and 42 yards – in the first quarter. 

Jimmy Granger started the scoring with a 47-yard TD run on the Bullpups’ first play from scrimmage. Jack Pierce added a 27-yard interception return for a score in the second quarter. 

Gonzaga Prep played backups for much of the second quarter and all of the second half. Thirteen players were credited with a rushing attempt.

“We prepare the same way, whether it’s Shadle or whoever,” Graham said. “We’ve got a pretty special group, so lot of weapons that we can get the ball to. And I think we’re just kind of scratching the surface on that too.”

With Kincaid missing a game, Graham said the key was getting his senior QB back into the fold. 

“I just had to get Sammy back in a rhythm again,” he said. “He’s getting better and better every week, and with the guys we have on the outside, he knows he’s just got to give them a chance and they’re going to make plays.”

For the season, Kincaid is 36 of 47 (76.5%) for 743 yards with 15 touchdown passes.

“We missed Sam last week,” senior running back Jonah Keller said. “Sam played great today. I mean, he had four, five touchdowns. Great throws, great balls. I mean, I love playing with Sam. He’s been my guy since last year.”

Gonzaga Prep was ranked No. 2 in this week’s state media poll, with two first place votes, and No. 4 in the coaches poll. Graham doesn’t put any stock in that. 

“I didn’t even know that until you told me that,” he said. “The kids, they’ll tell me every now and then, and it’s like, ‘You know what can’t control that.’ We focus on what we control. And keep getting better every day we go to practice. Every chance we get to compete, it’s a special time, so we don’t take those things for granted.”

Keller said last year’s semifinal loss to Camas still sticks with this group of seniors every day. 

“The preparations from end of season last year till now has been real,” he said. “Over the summer, we put in the work. Now we’re putting in the work every day at practice. We don’t take days off. Every day is like we’re coming out here just just to win a state championship.”

Shadle went three-and-out to start the game and after the punt, Gonzaga Prep took over at its 47 and on the Bullpups first play Grainger went off tackle, out to the sideline and all the way for his eighth touchdown of the season and a 7-0 lead. 

Kincaid hooked up with Docken for a pair of TD passes and the Bullpups led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. When Dylan Croall hauled in a 26-yard TD pass from Kincaid at the start of the second, G-Prep had run eight plays and four went for touchdowns. 

“What I’m really proud of the guys, is how they’re competing for each other,” Graham said. “It’s really starting to click where it doesn’t matter who’s getting the ball, the other 10 guys are competing just as hard whether they’re carrying the ball or blocking for each other. So that’s fun to watch.”

Pierce picked off a floater by Chavez in the middle of the field and eluded tacklers for a return TD on the next possession, then Kincaid found Nikko Alexander in the slot for a 25-yard score to make it 35-0. 

Backups Andy Agada, Jacob Nguyen and Max Ramierez added touchdowns to complete the rout. 

“All week in practice, we were preparing like we were just playing a playoff team. That’s how we don’t do it every week,” Keller said. “But we got our young guys in. We got them some action so just in case someone goes down, they’re next up.”

Shadle Park (1-5) was held to five first downs and an even 100 total yards. Chavez finished 3 for 12 for 27 yards and carried 10 times for minus-4 yards. Titan Rucker had 18 carries for 50 yards.