All over the field

Senior Cory Thorne has made most of his impact on defense for the Lakeland Hawks over the last three seasons.

But it was one play he made on offense which Hawk fans will remember for a long time.

With the Hawks trailing Timberlake 26-21 with less than 3 seconds remaining on Sept. 17 at Spirit Lake, Thorne, who plays tailback on offense, took a handoff from quarterback Eric Cooper and dove into the end zone to give Lakeland a 27-26 win at Van Tuinstra Memorial Field.

"Before that play, I was mad at myself that we'd let the game get that close," Thorne said. "I had some fire in me and our coaches knew it. When I found out the ball was coming to me on that play, I was scared a little bit, but the hole was pretty big to get through. I probably could have drove my truck through it."

The touchdown, which was his third that night, also gave Lakeland its first win of the season.

"It was a great game," Thorne said. "Three touchdowns and a big catch. It was a pretty big deal to get that win."

Thorne had a 76-yard catch from Cooper to set up the Hawks' first score early in the first quarter, finishing the game with 4 catches for 112 yards.

"I'd forgotten how big that field was from not playing offense for a couple years," Thorne said. "We had some stupid mistakes and should have won that game by more. But we learned how to win that game and how to be a physical football team."

Following the game, Thorne received text messages from some of his friends on the Timberlake team.

"I went to school with some of them at Garwood Elementary and still am friends with some of them," Thorne said. "They'll ask how we're doing and congratulated us. It's a district rivalry, so it's kind of a fun to play them."

Thorne, a three-year starter at cornerback, began playing on both sides of the ball midway through his junior season.

Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said Thorne has been a leader in the Hawks secondary since he arrived there in his sophomore season.

"He's always keeping us going," Kiefer said. "He works his tail off every day at practice and is going all the time during the game. He keeps us going on defense and never gives up on a play. He's a great kid both on the football field and around the school."

Thorne attributes past Lakeland players' demeanor to how he plays as a three-year starter.

"Someone needed to step up and help lead the team," Thorne said. "It's always good to have a leader on the field. I watched Bubba Bartlett play and learned a lot from him, even though I was just in the eighth grade when he was a senior."

Bartlett is currently a senior tight end for Carroll College in Helena, Mont., which is currently ranked second in the NAIA. Bartlett has 25 catches for 276 yards and four touchdowns, each team highs.

Due to an injury suffered in track during as a sophomore, it takes Thorne a bit longer to bounce back after games on Friday nights.

"I suffered a slipped disc in my lower back at a track meet and haven't competed in anything but football since," Thorne said. "I still get pretty sore after the games, but there was never a moment when I thought I'd never play again. I used to play baseball, but the pace of the game is too slow for me."

"He always works hard at whatever he does," Lakeland teammate Brendon Kedish said. "He's an inspiring leader on the field and just never quits."

Kedish, a two-year starter at running back and linebacker, added that Thorne's will to win is what sets him apart from the rest of the team.

"I'm amazed with how tough he is," Kedish said. "He is always going his hardest and is a great motivator for the team."

When he's not running down players on the football field, Thorne enjoys spending time in the outdoors.

"I love to hunt and ride my motorcycle when I've got time," Thorne said. "If I'm not spending time with my girlfriend and brothers, I'm usually out fishing with my friends."

Thorne saves his motorcycle rides for after the football season.

"I'm usually pretty sore after games so I stay away from riding during the season," Thorne said.

"He's a pretty laid-back guy," Kedish said. "He likes to try new things and is pretty spontaneous when it comes to doing things off the field."

Lakeland (2-5) hosts Sandpoint (2-4) on Friday night in the 4A Inland Empire League opener for both schools. The teams, along with Moscow (4-2), will battle for one berth to the 4A state playoffs.

"It's always fun to play Sandpoint," Thorne said. "We definitely need to play our best against them. We've got great team chemistry, but we'll need to put together a great game against Sandpoint. It would mean a lot to me and the rest of the team to go to state."

The team's goal of making a state playoff run will also involve defeating the Moscow Bears in Moscow on Oct. 22.

"I wrote 'On to State' on the mirror at home so it was the first thing I saw in the morning when I woke up," Thorne said. "It would mean the world to me and the rest of the seniors on our team. I'm not sure what will happen if we get those wins. Every class dreams of making it to state. We'll probably all collapse on the field if that happens."

Regardless of what happens, Thorne hopes that next weekend isn't the final time he takes the football field.

"I'm going to college after this year somewhere," Thorne said. "If football doesn't offer me anything - then I'll go to NIC for a couple of years and figure things out. I'd love to play at the next level, but right now I'm focused on Sandpoint and Moscow."