BOX ELDER - Spearfish took advantage of Douglas miscues, including six turnovers and a pair of muffed punts, to blank the Patriots, 41-0, in high school football Friday night.
After a mistake- and penalty-filled first half for both teams, the Spartans broke the game open with 35 points after intermission to send Douglas to defeat for the second straight week after the Patriots opened the year with two wins.
Spearfish got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when the Douglas punter couldn't corral a low snap and was tackled on the 14 before he could get the kick away.
Blake Besler tossed a 10-yard pass to Gavin Cordell to put the Spartans up early.
Four of six Douglas turnovers, a fumble and three interceptions, led to Spearfish touchdowns in the second half.
"That's always the biggest key when you get turnovers is that you have do something with them. We had short fields to work with and that makes it a lot easier offensively," said Spartan coach Chuck Syverson.
Jordan Johnson boosted the Spartans to their second consecutive win after two losses, rushing for 180 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns.
Johnson's total included 131 yards and touchdown runs of 5, 24 and 2 yards, in the second half.
His game total would have also included a 64-yard romp to the endzone on the Spartans' first play from scrimmage, but that was negated by an illegal motion penalty. Johnson also picked off two Wade Steier passes, threw a halfback pass to Tony Garcia for a two-point conversion, and booted three extra points for the Spartans.
"He's very multi-tasking," said Syverson of Johnson, a 5-8, 180-pound senior. "He can do it all. He can run and pass and he's been kicking for us lately. He's a jack of all trades for us."
Spartan quarterback Blake Besler completed 6-of-8 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Mitchell Syverson grabbed a scoring pass, a 28-yard strike in the second half.
Reserve running back Tony Nelson added a 10-yard touchdown run to complete the scoring. Both teams struggled in the first half.
"Too many penalties, too many missed assignments. We cleaned it up in the second half, and I was proud of the way we came back," Syverson said.
"That's just what happens when you take a team for granted," said Jordan Johnson. "In the second half we realized they're not that bad of a team. When we came out in the second half, we ran the ball the way we know we can."
Douglas was held to 92 yards of offense. Steier was 4-of-11 in passing for 14 yards and netted 33 yards on 13 carries.
Mat Pond had two sacks for Douglas, and James Roberts intercepted a Besler pass in the first half.
Douglas (2-2 overall, 1-1 Black Hills Conference) is idle next week and will host league rival Lead-Deadwood on Oct. 3.
Spearfish (2-2, 1-1) take on GDC foe Sioux Falls Roosevelt in Sioux Falls on Friday.
