Class B-11 football championship: Sweet redemption for Reardan in rematch

TACOMA — Mason Garner is like a gnat that won't go away.

Chase him around, swat at him, try to brush him off — nothing seems to rattle the 5-foot-8, 140-pound quarterback from Reardan. Not even a six-turnover day.

Oh, that bothered the competitive kid plenty, especially when those turnovers — five interceptions and his own lost fumble — led to all the points Lind-Ritzville scored in Reardan's only loss of the season. Bothered him so much he craved a second chance.

"I told my teammates if they got me a rematch, I'd give them a victory," Garner said.

Yesterday, he delivered on that promise, leading the Indians to a 17-14 triumph over Lind-Ritzville in the Class B-11 championship game at the Tacoma Dome.

After Lind-Ritzville took a 14-10 lead on John Kragt's second touchdown of the game with 5:28 left, Garner had one thought.

"It's on my back," he said.

Eric Nikkola, defensive coordinator for the 12-1 Indians, shared that sentiment.

"You're the quarterback, we put you there for a reason," he told Garner. "It's your job. Go out and win us the game."

He did just that. After John Seyler's 32-yard kickoff return set Reardan up at the 50, Garner went to work. It didn't start well. Jason Teske sacked him for a 9-yard loss, but he got those back — plus one — on a pass to Joel Anderson. On third-and-nine, he looped a high pass that Thomas Casselberry came back for and turned into a 30-yard gain to the 19. The two hooked up again on the next play for what proved to be the winning touchdown with 3:29 to play.

Lind-Ritzville (11-1) managed one first down from there, but the Reardan defense shut the door as Cameron McGregor's final two passes fell incomplete. The Indians took over with 1:40 to play.

For the game, Garner completed 16 of 23 passes for 214 yards and both Reardan touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also rushed 21 times for a net 18 yards. Lind-Ritzville Coach Mile Lynch had nothing but praise for Garner.

"The first time we play them, he throws five picks. Today, what'd he do? That's a performance, isn't it?" Lynch said. "It's a wonderful performance by the man."

What Reardan Coach Dan Graham loves most about Garner is that he's just a junior.

"He makes me look awfully good," Graham said. "When you've got a kid like that, you just turn him loose and let him do his thing."

But it was Lind-Ritzville doing its thing first yesterday. The Broncos, who primarily rely on the run, scored first when McGregor found running back Kragt wide open for a 61-yard touchdown pass. Kragt caught the ball at the 30, avoided the only potential tackler at the 5 and coasted into the end zone. Sam Whitman's kick made it 7-0 with 5:16 left in the half.

Reardan answered as Garner led a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 19-yard TD pass to Seyler, who split two defenders in the end zone. Ismael Perini's extra-point kick tied it at 7 with 1:59 left.

Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter. The Indians committed their only turnover of the game on the first play of that period when Casselberry lost the ball trying to stretch for a first down on fourth-and-one at the Lind-Ritzville 29. On the next play, however, outside linebacker Shane Nilles nailed McGregor from behind as he dropped back to pass, causing a fumble that Josh Cobb recovered.

That led to Perini's 35-yard field goal that made it 10-7 with 10:04 left and proved to be the difference in the game. Lind-Ritzville came back with a 10-play, 56-yard drive that culminated in Kragt's 1-yard run.

Kragt, who averages more than 120 yards per game, was held to 69 yards on 19 carries. Reardan's defensive line dominated most of the game.

"If you don't have anywhere to go, I don't care how good he is, he's not going anywhere," Nilles said.