Oh, what a run!

MOSCOW - After a tear-jerker of a season for the Coeur d'Alene Vikings, would you expect anything other than a dramatic finish?

Of course not.

Trailing throughout the fourth quarter and with time running out, the Vikings drove 80 yards in the final minute and a half. Backup quarterback Austin Lee scrambled the final 15 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 47 seconds left, and Coeur d'Alene rallied past Highland of Pocatello 31-28 in the state 5A championship football game Friday night before an estimated 5,500 at the Kibbie Dome.

"We needed a little good luck; we've been dealing with enough bad luck," said Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last month, and then watched his son and starting quarterback, Gunnar Amos, suffer a concussion late in the regular season, then a broken ankle in the first round of the state playoffs. "A real testament to this program and these kids and these coaches. And Highland is one heck of a football program. Those are two evenly matched teams."

Coeur d'Alene (9-3), in its fourth straight state title game, won its third title during that span, after finishing second last year.

Highland (11-1), which beat Coeur d'Alene 24-21 in Pocatello in September, was bidding for its first state title since 2008.

"It's amazing, it's the greatest feeling in the world," said Coeur d'Alene senior Jackson Carlson, who returned an interception for a touchdown in the first half, and also recovered a fumble. I'll remember this the rest of my life, this whole season. It's just crazy. All the misfortune that's happened to our team so far, something had to go our way."

Coeur d'Alene focused on stopping the run, and held Highland to just 42 rushing yards. But Rams quarterback Tommy Jewell took advantage by passing for 426 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the Vikings came up with big stops on the last three Highland drives. On the last one, Highland opted to punt on fourth and one at the Coeur d'Alene 49. Jewell punted into the end zone, and the Vikings took over at the 20 with 1:31 left.

Lee completed passes of 9 yards to Chase Blakley, 28 yards to Blakley, 8 yards to Ryan Walde, and 5 yards to Addison Johnson. Highland was flagged with hitting Johnson out of bounds on the play, putting the ball at the 15.

On the next play, Lee looked to pass to the right. But a Highland linebacker flushed him out of the pocket, and he took off toward the end zone, weaving through defenders before diving across the goal line with the go-ahead score.

"I was so happy for Shawn Amos and Gunnar Amos and the team ... we've been through some adversity this season," said Lee, a sophomore. "I knew we'd get the job done (on that last drive), there was no doubt, The seniors, they played their hearts out, and we got the victory."

The second half's thrilling finish was in stark contrast to the first half, which featured six turnovers, three by each team.

"It's pretty ugly football, if you ask me," Highland coach Gino Mariani said. ??It wasn't well played early on, with all the turnovers. ... both teams settled down in the second half.

"You can't second guess (the Rams' decision to punt late), our defense had been playing well, well enough that hopefully we could stop them, but we didn't. They drove down and got a score and that was big.

"They're very physical up front, tough to run the ball against. We had to throw the ball a little bit to try to get first downs, but we were a yard short. That's a call, I'd make it again, put our defense on the field, they've been playing well the last six weeks. If they're going to beat us, they're going to beat us with our best on the field."

Both teams turned the ball over three times in a crazy first half. Three of the turnovers came in a span of 11 plays.

Lee put Coeur d'Alene on the board with a 3-yard run with 5:45 left in the first quarter. Highland recovered a Ty Holgate fumble at the Rams' 4, and six plays later, Christian Atkinson took a shovel pass from Tommy Jewell and sped 70 yards to tie the game at 7.

Lee lost a fumble two plays later, and Highland took over at the Coeur d'Alene 38. Jewell tried another shovel pass two plays later, but had to loft over a crowd of Viking linemen. The ball bounced off the hands of Thad Hansen, the intended receiver, and the Vikings' Carlson picked it off and rumbled 64 yards for a 14-7 Coeur d'Alene lead.

Highland then tied it, thanks to completions of 13, 41 and 32 yards by Jewell. Hansen took it the final 2 yards with 5:48 left in the half, and the game went to halftime tied at 14.

Carlson and Austin Chadderdon also had fumble recoveries for the Vikings in the first half.

Jewell was 11 of 19 for 212 yards passing in the first half, with one interception.

Highland scored on its first possession of the third quarter, Jewell connecting with Atkinson in the right flat for a 3-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead.

Highland committed an offside penalty on the kickoff, then kicked the next one out of bounds. Coeur d'Alene made the Rams kick it again, and Jonny Plum returned it 82 yards to the Highland 13. On the next play, Lee hit Johnson in the right flat, and Johnson took it in to tie the game.

A blocked punt by Phoenix Duncan of Coeur d'Alene set up a 37-yard field goal by Brennen Barber that put the Vikings ahead 24-21 with 3:32 late in the third quarter.

But Highland took the lead back four plays later, Tamalii Campbell catching a Jewell pass near the right sideline, breaking two tackles and racing to the end zone to complete the 64-yard scoring play. That put Highland up 28-24 with 2:29 left in the third.

Coeur d'Alene then turned the ball over on downs at midfield, then punted on its next two possessions. Highland missed a field goal after taking over at midfield, then punted on its last two possessions.

It was then that Lee and the Vikings went on a drive for the ages.

"Austin struggled a little bit there in the middle, but made the big play," Amos said. "It wasn't called to put it on him, but he made it happen. And a lot of kids made some huge plays."

Highland out gained Coeur d'Alene 468-296, but the Vikings earned the yards - and prevented Highland from additional yards - when it counted.

Perhaps some divine intervention?

"It sure seems like it, but mainly it's these guys, they weren't going to go away, and Highland's kids, too," Amos said. "No one was going to quit on this game. It was going to be a slugfest 'til the end, and honestly, we happened to be the last one to score."

Amos was asked what three state titles in the last four years says about his program.

"It means that we have tremendously invested coaches and kids," he said. "They're willing to put in the time and effort to get yourself to that level."

Highland 0 14 14 0 - 28

Coeur d'Alene 7 7 10 7 - 31

First quarter

Cd'A - Austin Lee 3 run (Brennen Barber kick), 5:45

Second quarter

High - Christian Atkinson 70 pass from Tommy Jewell (Dallan Rodriguez kick), 10:19

Cd'A - Jackson Carlson 64 interception return (Barber kick), 8;56

High - Thad Hansen 2 run (Rodriguez kick), 5:48

Third quarter

High - Atkinson 3 pass from Jewell (Rodriguez kick), 9:13

Cd'A - Addison Johnson 13 pass from Lee (Barber kick), 8:52

Cd'A - FG Barber 37, 3:32

High - Tamalii Campbell 64 pass from Jewell (Rodriguez kick), 2:29

Fourth quarter

Cd'A - Lee 15 run (Barber kick), :47.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - High, Jewell 13-11, Hansen 14-31, Cd'A, Holgate 5-14, Lee 15-68, Plum 3-12, Green 4-11, Johnson 1-31, Berger 3-7, Team 2-(minus 23).

PASSING - High, Jewell 28-44-1-426. Cd'A, Lee 19-29-0-177.

RECEIVING - High, Campbell 4-86, Hansen 67-75, Atkinson 9-116, Gwinn 2-46, Ockey 3-70, Page 2-25, Haber 2-8. Cd'A, Holgate 1-16, Blakley 5-64, Carlson 2-16, Walde 4-39, Johnson 4-31, Plum 2-11, Berger 1-0.