Turnover-prone Lakeland falls to Skyview in opener

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

RATHDRUM - Without its starting tailback, the Sky was the limit for the Lakeland Hawks football season.

Lakeland, playing without junior Tuekota Tate due to an ankle injury, turned the ball over five times in a 34-23 loss to the Skyview Hawks of Nampa on Friday night in the first round of the state 4A playoffs at Corbit Field.

"Our kids are resilient and kept finding a way to battle," Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said. "I'm proud of them."

Lakeland finishes 5-5 after qualifying for state for the second time in three years.

Skyview (9-1), which has now won nine straight games, hosts Jerome next weekend in the state semifinals.

Missing Tate, Lakeland junior quarterback Tyrel Derrick threw for 205 yards, but had three interceptions and a lost fumble.

"I thought we moved the ball well, but it was just in spurts," Kiefer said. "Our defense was outstanding tonight, but we just put them on the field too many times with our turnovers. It's something that cost us the game."

Skyview took advantage of the first turnover, a fumble by Derrick on the 29-yard line, in one play as quarterback Anthony Marin ran an option play for the score to give the visiting Hawks a 7-0 just 2:55 into the game.

Lakeland tied the game on a 3-yard touchdown run by Colton Bucher, but Skyview tailback Jaxon Pryor scored the first of his three touchdowns on the night, scoring from 37 yards out to give Skyview a 13-7 lead with 3:12 remaining in the half.

The Hawks pulled to within 13-10 before half on junior Cade Coffey's school record 57-yard field goal, which cleared the goalpost by some 2 yards.

"I was by the coaches and heard them ask if we wanted to punt or try a field goal," Coffey said. "I thought to myself, we're not going to kick a 57-yard field goal, then I heard coach Kiefer say PAT and still thought we were going to fake it. I couldn't believe it went in."

Skyview outscored Lakeland 15-6 in the third quarter, keyed by a 53-yard touchdown run by Pryor, who finished with 180 yards rushing.

"I think for us, we didn't quite have the emotion in the first half that we did in the second half," Skyview coach David Young said. "It's the playoffs and that's the way it starts sometimes. It's a big, long road trip and you've got to get off the bus and start playing. Going into the playoffs, you don't know what to expect, especially playing against an opponent that you're playing from clear across the state. That Lakeland team plays with a lot of heart and they fight like crazy, and we had to figure that out."

Lakeland pulled within 28-23 with 2:36 remaining on a 1-yard run by Tyrel Derrick, but Pryor answered with a 3-yard TD run, and a late interception by Hagen Graves - his second of the night - at the Lakeland 40 with 30 seconds remaining sealed the win.

Senior wide receiver Brett Webb finished with 94 yards receiving for Lakeland, including a 48-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

"What they were doing defensively, we were scrambling around and putting guys in different spots and trying to find places to get Brett the ball downfield," Kiefer said. "They had Hagen on him all night, so we were moving Brett around and trying to see if we could get him the ball in the different places."

"It was the most fun season I've had here," Webb said. "We had the best chemistry the team has had since I've been here, but it just didn't go our way tonight."

Skyview 7 6 15 6 - 34

Lakeland 0 10 6 7 - 23

First quarter

Sky - Anthony Marin 29 run (Tim Molke kick), 9:05

Second quarter

LL - Colton Butcher 3 run (Coffey kick), 9:55

Sky - Jaxon Pryor 37 run (kick failed), 3:12

LL - FG Cade Coffey 57, 2:18

Third quarter

Sky - Pryor 53 run (Holton Hyde pass from Marin), 7:58

LL - Brett Webb 48 pass from Tyrel Derrick (run failed), 5:43

Sky - Hyde 25 pass from Marin (Mohlke kick), 2:30

Fourth quarter

LL - Derrick 1 run (Coffey kick), 2:36

Sky - Pryor 3 run (kick failed), :58

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Sky, Pryor 21-180, Marin 13-42, Graves 3-5, Ball 3-29. LL, Washburn 8-20, Derrick 17-28, Butcher 12-16, Piva 2(-5), Nosworthy 1-3, Webb 1-(-2), Cooper 2-16.

PASSING - Sky, Marin 12-19-0-157. LL, Derrick 12-22-3-205.

RECEIVING - Sky, Hyde 5-77, Miller 3-49, Roberts 1-4, Pryor 1-1, Graves 1-17, Smith 1-9. LL, Nosworthy 2-25, Cooper 2-19, Piva 2-54, Webb 4-97, Butcher 1-5, Howell 1-5.