Buldogs bite down on Lumberjacks, clinch CIL title
Grangeville defense forces four turnovers
By JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writer
ST. MARIES - The chainsaws roared as the St. Maries Lumberjacks took the field on Friday night in their final home game of the regular season.
But it was the visiting Grangeville Bulldogs' bark that proved to be louder as they ran for 179 yards and forced four turnovers, beating the shorthanded Lumberjacks 49-0 to clinch the three-team Central Idaho League championship.
"It was a big game for us," St. Maries coach Craig Tefft said. "We had a good game plan coming in, but they could run the ball a lot better than we could. They were a lot faster than we'd seen on film. Their team speed and physicality took us off guard a little bit early on."
St. Maries (2-4, 0-1 CIL) will play at the Coeur d'Alene junior varsity next Friday at 4 p.m., then travel to Orofino on Oct. 25 to determine the No. 2 and 3 seeds to the state 2A play-in games from the league.
"We've got two games left, but a lot still to play for," Tefft said. "That Orofino game is a big game for us. We need to put a good gameplan together for the Coeur d'Alene JV and build some momentum from that. It's a big deal for our kids, because they really want to host a playoff game."
St. Maries played without starting quarterback Luke Feasline, a senior who tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in a 27-20 nonleague loss to Priest River last Friday night.
"It was tough," Tefft said. "Luke's been in this offense for three years, and this is Logan's first game really."
Junior Logan Feasline, Luke's younger brother, threw for 58 yards and two interceptions in the loss for St. Maries.
"Luke was definitely a big part of our team," Logan Feasline said. "It was tough, especially as his brother to step in for him tonight."
Feasline moved from wide receiver to quarterback due to the injury.
"They were really, really fast off the ball," said Feasline of Grangeville's defense. "Their four down linemen were tearing us apart tonight. We'll need to work a little harder next week in practice and get back at it next week."
Quarterback Michael Wilson compiled 142 total yards, throwing for touchdown passes of 70 and 20 yards in the second quarter to give Grangeville (5-2, 2-0) a 28-0 halftime lead.
"We just had some things go our way tonight," Grangeville coach Jeff Lindsley said. "We had some big plays in the first quarter and some plays that shifted the momentum early. When you lose your starting quarterback, it changes the dynamic of your offense. Luke's good, but Logan's just as talented back there. Our whole goal was to compete, and I think we did that tonight."
Grangeville beat Orofino 21-6 in the other CIL game this year in Grangeville.
Doug Massender ran for a 113 yards for St. Maries.
"St. Maries can run the ball," Lindsley said. "I was worried that even with their starting quarterback out, Logan has a great arm and they can still move the ball. I think they were a little off tonight, and we took advantage of that."
Cole Lindsley had two interception returns of 27 and 35 yards on back-to-back plays on defense in the fourth quarter for Grangeville, which returns to action at Gooding on Oct. 26.
Grangeville 7 21 7 14 - 49
St. Maries 0 0 0 0 - 0
First quarter
Gra - Michael Wilson 11 run (Josh Dame kick), 10:55
Second quarter
Gra - Wyatt Dewey 8 run (Dame kick), 9:19
Gra - Jasper Sabatino 20 pass from Wilson (Dame kick), 9:05
Gra - Alex Koberstein 70 pass from Wilson (Dame kick), 7:24
Third quarter
Gra - Jake Stokes 1 run (Dame kick), 10:51
Fourth quarter
Gra - Cole Lindsley 27 interception return (Dame kick), 4:51
Gra - Lindsley 35 interception return (Dame kick), 4:34
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - Gra, Dame 9-90, Wilson 11-31, Dewey 11-20, Robinson 2-48, Stokes 1-1, Scott 1-2, Keeler 2-7. SM, Massender 13-118, Lo. Feasline 10-0, Hickman 1-3, Truscott 2-8, Walters 3-10, Macumber 8-50,
PASSING - Gra, Wilson 4-11-0-111. SM, Lo. Feasline 9-27-2-58.
RECEIVING - Gra, Sabatino 1-20, Haberstein 1-70, Dame 1-7, Dewey 1-14. SM, Massender 2-19, Michael 6-32, Richmond 1-7.