The Cheney High football team wrapped up their 2016 campaign with a 15-0 loss to Great Northern League leading Pullman last Friday, Oct. 21 in what Blackhawks head coach Bobby Byrd called “one of the muddiest games I’ve been a part of.”
The Greyhounds took the lead in the first quarter on Jake Cillay’s 6-yard scoring pass to Cameron Lang. Pullman boosted its lead in the same quarter on Cillay’s 49-yard pass to Grant Druffel.
“That game was kind of the story of our season,” Byrd said. “We played pretty good defensively, but we couldn’t get anything going on offense. It gives us something to focus on in the offseason.”
Pullman finished its scoring with a safety in the fourth quarter. Individual stats were not available as of press time.
The Blackhawks (0-4 GNL, 2-6 overall) finished fifth in the league standings. They won two of their four nonleague games, defeating Greater Spokane League’s North Central (22-21, Sept. 8) and 4A Columbia Basin Big Nine League’s Eisenhower (28-14, Sept. 23).
The Blackhawks lose 13 seniors to graduation. Byrd commended his seniors for “not giving up during the entire season.”
“I love this senior group and I hate to see them go but that’s high school sports,” Byrd said. “As soon as you get to know them, they’re gone.”
Several starters are expected to return next year, including quarterback Cole Hinrichs, fullback Logan Kendall and tailback Charles Johnson, as well as most of the receiver corps.
“We had one returning starter on offense this season, so next year we’ll be in a better spot offensively,” Byrd said. “We’ll have three offensive linemen who either started or had significant playing time.”
Byrd added that the team will be in a “better position defensively” at the beginning of next year.
“We don’t have to replace 10 players (like this year),” Byrd said. “We have guys who can fill those spots.”
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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