Staff photo by Sam Barbee Stanfield's Thyler Monkus (21) carries through the Imbler defense during the Tigers' 46-26 win Friday night in Stanfield. Monkus finished with 235 yards and five touchdowns.

After the first two Imbler drives Friday night in Stanfield, it was as if the Panthers were the team with the undefeated record and big point differential.

Behind burly running back Tyler Tandy, the Panthers marched right down the field twice while holding the explosive Tigers to two three-and-outs en route to a 14-0 lead. But Jason Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass, got a decent return, and Stanfield scored that drive and dominated the final three quarters for a 46-26 non-league football win.

“They came up with a great gameplan,” first-year Stanfield coach Davy Salas said of Imbler. “We got a little surprised. When you buy in to everything around you, you don’t think you have to train as hard, you don’t have to practice as hard, things like that. But like I said, this was good. I’m happy this happened. I’m glad my kids got a wake-up call in the beginning of the season, not mid-season.”

It didn’t take long for Stanfield to wake up, though. And when it did, it showed why it’s a contender in the Columbia Basin Conference. Junior running back Thyler Monkus rushed for 235 yards on 21 carries and scored five touchdowns, with another coming through the air. It was his second-straight 200-yard game, and his third of the season.

But Fitzpatrick’s interception on the near sideline in the first quarter was what flipped the momentum back to the Tigers’ sideline.

“It wasn’t just my interception that turned the game around,” Fitzpatrick conceded. “We had some huge plays. (Defensive tackle) Jared (Warren), for example, had a bunch of huge plays. We had some other big linemen who made some great plays. If it wasn’t for those linemen, I don’t think I would’ve got that interception.”

From there, Stanfield marched 65 yards and Dylan Grogan hit Monkus for the only passing touchdown for Stanfield and a 14-6 deficit. Then after an Imbler three-and-out, Stanfield again marched right down the field on Monkus’ back, and he dove in from three yards out to pull within one at 14-13. Another Monkus 3-yarder right before the half put Stanfield up 20-14, but Imbler didn’t go away.

The Panthers got the ball with 40 seconds left, and Tandy broke free for a 39-yard score to tie things at 20 apiece. Then Imbler recovered an onside kick, but couldn’t score before the half.

In the third quarter, Justin Keeney broke free for a 55-yard run and Imbler answered with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brandon McGilvary to make the score 27-26. But this is where Stanfield pulled away. After Grogan busted a 47-yard TD scamper, Imbler fumbled the ensuing kick-off and Monkus took the first hand-off of the drive and went 49 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, Stanfield was up 39-26 and firmly in control. Monkus added a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter to ensure the result.

Now with non-league play finished, Stanfield hosts Weston-McEwen next Friday. In a wild back-and-forth game last year in Athena, Weston-McEwen took it 53-42. Fitzpatrick says it’s a game they’ve been waiting for.

“They are one of our top competitors, for sure,” he said. “They put up a big fight every year, whether we win by one or lose by one or two. They’re still a great team to go against. Now we gotta focus ahead and really step up this whole week and show up at practice every day.”

———

Stanfield 46, Imbler 26

IHS (1-3) 14 6 6 0 — 26

SHS (4-0) 6 14 19 7 — 46

First Quarter

Im — T. Tandy 10-yard run (2-point No Good), 7:56

Im — B. McGilvary 20-yard pass from J. Walker (2-point Good), 4:24

St — T. Monkus 21-yard pass from D. Grogan (Extra Point No Good), 1:25

Second Quarter

St — T. Monkus 3-yard run (2-point No Good), 11:57

St — T. Monkus 3-yard run (2-point Good), 0:44

Im — T. Tandy 39-yard run (2-point No Good), 0:18

Third Quarter

St — J. Keeney 55-yard run (Extra Point Good), 8:19

Im — B. McGilvary 15-yard pass from J. Walker (2-point No Good), 6:21

St — D. Grogan 47-yard run (Extra Point No Good), 2:10

St — T. Monkus 49-yard run (Extra Point No Good), 1:49

Fourth Quarter

St — T. Monkus 50-yard run (Extra Point Good), 10:27

Statistics

RUSHING — STANFIELD (50-451, 6 TD): T. Monkus 21-235, 5 TD; D. Grogan 16-136, TD; J. Keeney 7-100, TD; M. Blankenship 3-11; A. Gomez 2-2; E. Angel 1-18.

PASSING — STANFIELD (7-10-1, 136 yards, 1 TD): D. Grogan 7-10-1, 136 yards, TD.