Turnovers plague Trojans in loss to Moses Lake
POST FALLS - In its final tuneup before next Friday's 5A Inland Empire League game at Lake City, the Post Falls Trojans had a golden opportunity to bring a three-game winning streak as some nice momentum.
But after falling 31-14 to the Moses Lake Chiefs, it was simply not meant to be.
Post Falls (3-3) cut a 21-0 halftime deficit down to 21-14 in the third quarter, thanks to a 42-yard pass from Dalton Thompson to Jacob Koski with 4:22 left and a 12-yard run by Chaz Bailey with 8:06 left.
However, the game-clinching play came with 1:14 left in the game, with the Chiefs (4-1) leading 24-14 and the Trojans marching down the field. As Thompson pump-faked and brought the ball down right below his chest while trying to find a receiver, he was tackled by a Moses Lake defender and fumbled at the Moses Lake 37. Kaleb Riojas scooped up the bouncing ball and raced 63 yards to paydirt.
"We turn over the ball that much and we don't play physical (in the first half), you're lucky to be in the game in the second half," Post Falls coach Jeff Hinz said. "When we started playing better, we came back, but we've got to convert when we get the ball in the red zone. We had the ball three or four times inside the red zone and didn't convert."
Four turnovers, including three interceptions thrown by Thompson in the first half, put the Trojans in their hole at halftime. Midway through the first quarter, with Post Falls trailing 7-0 and Thompson attempting a pass for Kaden Nelson on fourth-and-9 at the Moses Lake 28, Jaime Vela stepped in and picked it off.
With 57 seconds left in the first quarter, Trojan linebacker Tom Roman stripped the ball from Moses Lake tight end Derek Crum near midfield.
But on the next play, Thompson was picked off again, this time by Nico Hernandez at the Trojans' 40-yard line. Easton Castro punched it in a few plays later five seconds into the second quarter on a 2-yard run for a 14-0 Chiefs lead.
Nathan Ball, who rushed for 141 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns, scored on a 23-yard run nearly three minutes later for a 21-0 lead. With just 37 seconds left, Thompson's third pick came at the 2-yard line when Vela jumped a route in front of a receiver.
"In the first half, we set the tone and we just didn't come to play in the second half," Moses Lake coach Todd Griffith said. "They came out in the second half and kicked our rear ends."
Moses Lake 7 14 0 10 - 31
Post Falls 0 0 14 0 - 14
First quarter
ML - Nathan Ball 39 run (Rehn Reiley kick), 8:55
Second quarter
ML - Easton Castro 2 run (Reiley kick), 11:55
ML - Ball 23 run (Reiley kick), 9:07
Third quarter
PF - Chaz Bailey 12 run (Nathan Gregory kick), 8:06
PF - Jacob Koski 42 pass from Dalton Thompson (Gregory kick)
Fourth quarter
ML - Reiley 22 FG, 3:35
ML - Kaleb Riojas 63 fumble return (Reiley kick), 1:14
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - ML, Nathan Ball 24-141, Easton Castro 6-34, Isaiah Thomas 1-5, Derek Crum 1-(minus-1), PF, Dalton Thompson 10-89, Chaz Bailey 7-40, Austin Jackson 6-21, Kaden Nelson 2-(minus-4).
PASSING - ML, Castro 6-10-0-58, PF, Thompson 20-31-3-173.
RECEIVING - ML, Kevin Cosper 3-22, Sean 1-22, 1-10, Jaime Vela 1-6, Ball1-6. PF, Kaden Nelson 7-58, Kameron Walker 6-64, Jacob Koski 3-84, Zach Hillman 3-30, Nathan Gregory 2-17.