Better the second time

BOISE — As the final seconds ticked off and the victory was about to be secured, quarterback Chad Chalich heaved the football into the air.

Moments later, his teammates lifted Deon Watson into the air as he hoisted the state championship trophy.

The second time around was even better for the Coeur d’Alene Vikings on Friday night.

“It’s great; I’ve never felt this good before,” senior linebacker/wide receiver Joe Roletto said while celebrating Coeur d’Alene’s 49-28 victory over the Eagle Mustangs in the state 5A title game at Bronco Stadium. “Two in a row, it’s pretty great.”

Coeur d’Alene (12-0) won its second straight state title in convincing fashion, and won the fourth state football title in school history.

“It’s better the second time,” said Watson, a senior wide receiver/defensive end, who like Roletto was a member of last year’s title team, and who caught two touchdown passes on Friday night.

The matchup of the top two quarterbacks in the state didn’t disappoint. Chalich, playing with a hairline fracture in his right foot, completed 20 of 29 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 57 yards and two scores.

“He’s a warrior,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said. “Week 12 ... we have a number of kids who battled through stuff, but he’s one tough kid.”

“My foot didn’t really hurt (during the game),” said Chalich, who wore a metal arch plate under his foot during the game, and will have a cast placed on his foot today, and miss the first four weeks of basketball season. “Our O-line did a great job of keeping their guys off of me, like they do game in and game out. And our receivers made plays. Going back to back is something special.”

Tanner Mangum of Eagle (10-2), who has committed to BYU, countered with 37 of 53 passing for a 5A title game record 453 yards, and two TDs. But he was picked off four times, three by Roletto and one by Bubba Duran.

“Playmaker — the most unimposing playmaker in the state of Idaho,” Amos said of Roletto, generously listed at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. “He comes up with big plays — him, Bubba Duran, they come up with big plays. And all year, we had a lot of kids contribute to this.”

Mangum threw quick passes early and aired it out late, and Eagle finished with 534 yards. Coeur d’Alene totaled 524. Eagle finished with six turnovers, including two lost fumbles. Travis Tackett also had a fumble recovery for the Vikings, who also lost two fumbles.

Eagle scored first on Collin Ray’s 3-yard run early in the second quarter. Coeur d’Alene punted and lost a fumble on its first two drives.

The Vikings started their third drive with two incompletions. On third and 10 from the 20, Chalich hit Duran at the 40, two Eagle defensive backs collided, and Duran raced untouched to the end zone to complete the 80-yard scoring play.

The play seemed to spark the Vikings, who started putting more pressure on Mangum. Two plays later, Roletto jumped a route and picked off Mangum at the Eagle 41. Seven plays later, Carlos Martinez circled left end on the option from 5 yards out and Coeur d’Alene led 14-7.

Eagle went three and out on its next two drives, and late in the half, Chalich rolled right and connected with Watson in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 with 59 seconds left in the half.

Midway through the third quarter, Eagle was driving when the Mustangs fumbled deep in Viking territory. Reece Mahaffy scooped up the loose ball and sped 79 yards for a Coeur d’Alene touchdown, hiking the lead to 28-7 and seemingly putting the Vikings in control.

But Mangum started opening it up. And helped by a pair of broken coverages, Mangum connected with Jake Jackson on a 65-yard touchdown play, then hit Austin Diffey on a 41-yard scoring toss, cutting Coeur d’Alene’s lead to 28-21 with 4:29 left in the third quarter.

Diffey wound up with 16 catches for 132 yards.

Amos said he was “not happy, but not concerned. There was no panic on our sidelines.”

With good reason. Three plays later, Chalich hit Watson on a slant pattern, and Watson raced past the secondary for a 77-yard touchdown. Coeur d’Alene scored again early in the fourth quarter on Chalich’s 2-yard run.

Roletto’s second interception, which occurred when Mangum was under heavy pressure, came at the Eagle 13, and he returned it to the 3. Chalich scored from 1 yard out to make it 49-21.

Chalich, who came into the game with 3,226 passing yards, finished with 42 touchdown passes, and was intercepted just twice.

Mangum, who entered the game with 3,433 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions, was intercepted on three straight possessions in the fourth quarter.

“We knew he was going to come out passing,” said Roletto, who came into the game with four interceptions. “He was doing a good job, but he can’t make every pass. I figured every one that wasn’t perfect, I was going to jump on it.”

Coeur d’Alene 0 21 14 14 — 49

Eagle 0 7 14 7 — 28

Eag — Collin Ray 3 run (Jace Johnson kick)

Cd’A — Bubba Duran 80 pass from Chad Chalich (Parker Wilson kick)

Cd’A — Carlos Martinez 5 run (Wilson kick)

Cd’A — Deon Watson 31 pass from Chalich (Wilson kick)

Cd’A — Reece Mahaffy 79 fumble return (Wilson kick)

Eag — Jake Jackson 65 pass from Tanner Mangum (Johnson kick)

Eag — Austin Diffey 41 pass from Mangum (Johnson kick)

Cd’A — Deon Watson 77 pass from Chalich (Wilson kick)

Cd’A — Chalich 2 run (Wilson kick)

Cd’A — Chalich 1 run (Wilson kick)

Eag — Mangum 1 run (Johnson kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Eag, Martinez 5-15, Lane 9-41, Erickson 1-4, Ray 2-3, Mangum 6-18. Cd’A, Martinez 20-55, Chalich 15-57, Johnson 1-9, Duran 1-(minus 7).

PASSING — Eag, Mangum 37-53-4-453. Cd’A, Chalich 20-29-0-410.

RECEIVING — Eag, Cooper 16-132, Lane 5-35, Williams 1-3, Johnson 1-7, Dean 3-24, Diffey 6-116, Jackson 5-136. Cd’A, Duran 4-139, Martinez 3-33, Johnson 7-45, Watson 5-177, Roletto 1-16.