Home cookin’ for the Bantams

The Clarkston football team relied on big plays en route to a 51-26 win over 2A Greater Spokane League opponent East Valley of Spokane on Friday at Adams Field.

The Bantams had three scoring plays of more than 30 yards including a 63-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Carter Steinwand to junior receiver Ryken Craber on the first drive of the game.

The Clarkston duo connected seven times for 240 yards a week ago in a 42-26 loss to Lewiston. Against the Knights, the pair found similar success connecting nine times for 160 yards.

“He’s developing into a weapon,” Clarkston coach Brycen Bye said. “He’s gaining confidence and realizing how fast he is, so he’s just a weapon that we’re happy to have.”

Here’s what else happened in the Bantams’ home opener:

Steinwand starts to separate but drops haunt him

Clarkston’s quarterback looked like the Bantams’ best player throughout Friday’s contest.

The gunslinger finished 20-of-29 passing for a season-high 360 yards and four touchdowns. But even with all of his success, his best throw of the night was an incompletion.

The 6-foot tall quarterback moved up the pocket and delivered a 40-yard pass right into the hands of junior receiver Nate Somers.

Somers split the two East Valley safeties on the play and just couldn’t haul in the well-placed pass.

The Bantams recorded six drops throughout Friday’s contest which was one of their biggest bugaboos throughout.

“I think it’s just a focus thing,” Bye said. “When the ball is in the air they’re just thinking about scoring instead of catching the ball and as we go they’ll get better and better. Sometimes it just happens.”

Still has a lot of options

Despite the mental lapses, Clarkston’s receivers were able to show their ability to make plays after the catch.

The Bantams (2-1, 1-0) ran a lot of bubble screens to the perimeter, allowing their speedsters to get out into space.

Senior wideout Mason Brown had five receptions for 78 yards with most of his total coming after the catch.

Brown’s biggest play, however, was an 11-yard toe-tapper with 9:16 remaining in regulation for the game’s final margin.

Sommers was the third leading receiver for Clarkston having three receptions for 51 yards.

Steinwand completed a pass to seven different Bantams throughout Friday’s game.

Right place, right time

East Valley (0-3, 0-1) knocked the ball loose a couple of times and managed to get Clarkston to turn it over on downs, but could never capitalize.

The Knights’ biggest problem was their inability to get a snap off.

Clarkston running back J.J Di Sarno coughed the ball up at the 1-yard line with 8:00 remaining in the second quarter.

The Knights failed to capitalize on the following play as the snap would soar over quarterback Tarin Fields’ head into the end zone. The ball would end up being recovered by senior linebacker Emmett Slagg for a touchdown to put the Bantams in front 28-12 with 6:56 remaining in the first half.

Slagg would take advantage of another bad East Valley snap two drives later but would be one yard short of paydirt. Steinwand would cash in for a 1-yard score a play later to give Clarkston a 35-12 lead with 2:56 remaining in the second quarter.

“It’s right place at the right time,” Bye said. “But at the same time, if you play hard, you’re going to be in the right place at the right time. He goes hard all the time and it just happened that the ball was right there and he did a good job.”

Containing a big threat

East Valley’s do-it-all player senior Diezel Wilkinson has been a thorn in the side of the Bantams for the last three years.

The Idaho commit had his share of explosive plays, including a 73-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter, as well as a 16-yard Randy Moss-like catch in the third.

Wilkinson finished with five receptions for 103 yards while adding six carries for 59 yards on the ground.

“We knew going in he’d have one or two explosive plays,” Bye said. “We were just trying to bottle that. Overall I think we limited him pretty well.”

East Valley 0    12 8 6—26

Clarkston 21 14 9 7—51

Clarkston — Ryken Craber 63 pass from Carter Steinwand (kick failed).

Clarkston — J.J Di Sarno 10 run (Di Sarno run).

East Valley —Diezel Wilkinson 73 pass from Dakota Jackson (kick failed).

Clarkston — Steinwand 1 run (Stephen Alfred kick).

East Valley — Halela Jackson 79 pass from Jackson (run failed).

Clarkston — Emmett Slagg fumble recovery (Alfred kick).

Clarkston — Steinwand 7 run (Alfred kick)

East Valley — Wilkinson 16 catch from Tarin Fields (Jack Hanson pass from Fields).

Clarkston — Safety.

Clarkston — Di Sarno 37 run (Alfred kick).

East Valley — Wilkinson 50 run (pass failed).

Clarkston — Mason Brown 11 pass from Steinwand (Alfred kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATSTICS

PASSING — East Valley: Jackson 3-3-0—137; Fields 4-8-0—52. Clarkston: Carter Steinwand 20-29-0—360.

RUSHING — East Valley: Titan Nesbitt 15-50; Wilkinson 6-59; Dean Deakins 1-3; Fields 1-1; Shirlwin Watt 1-2. Clarkston: Steinwand 7-44; Di Sarno 17-112.

RECEIVING — East Valley: Wilkinson 5-103; Jackson 2-91. Clarkston: Craber 9-160; Brown 5-78; Sommers 3-51; Bodee Thivierge 1-10; Marcisio Noriega 1-9; Alfred 1-8.

Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks