Opportunistic Trojans down Bulldogs
<p>JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY</p><p>Matthew Mills of Post Falls runs for the first of the three touchdowns he scored Friday night at Sandpoint.</p>
SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint Bulldogs opened both the George Yarno Jr. era and the first quarter with a bang, taking an early 7-0 lead in the season opener Friday night against the visiting 5A Trojans.
But Matthew Mills and the Trojans owned the final three quarters, giving interim head coach Blaine Bennett his first victory as Post Falls scored the final three touchdowns to earn a hard-fought 22-7 win in a game much closer than the score.
Senior receiver Matthew Mills accounted for all but two of the Trojans’ points, catching two touchdown passes and running for another as the Trojans spread the field and let their playmakers go to work behind their longtime staple fly sweep.
The Trojans’ defensive front seven was stout, controlling the line of scrimmage and holding the Bulldogs’ power rushing game in check with just 106 yards on the ground and 242 overall. Levi Irish was held to just 72 yards on 20 carries, as there were few holes to run through.
On the flip side, the Trojans rushed 46 times for 271 yards, moving the chains behind 115 yards from Kaden Nelson and sharp play from quarterbacks Mark Haines and Nate Buer. The physicality and execution of the Trojans, playing their first game since former head coach Jeff Hinz passed away in July, earned the respect of Yarno.
“That team we played tonight is going to be a damn good football team down the road,” claimed Yarno. “They were sharp tonight.”
The Bulldogs drew first blood when junior quarterback Robbie Johnson threw a strike on a deep post to T.J. Davis, who beat two defenders on the play and ran untouched into the end zone for a 46-yard score and an early 7-0 lead. The Trojans muffed the ensuing kickoff, but the Bulldogs could not capitalize on the short 28-yard field and turned the ball back over on downs.
The Bulldogs were threatening to score again in the second quarter, but turned the ball over on downs at the Trojans’ 15-yard line, one of a few missed opportunities that proved costly.
Mills turned on the jets on a sweep and raced 30 yards to finish off the ensuing 85-yard drive, and after a two-point conversion the half would end with the Trojans leading 8-6.
The biggest play of the game, a momentum-swinging play, came with the Trojans facing a 4th and 13 from the Bulldogs’ 23-yard line. Mills was able to get past the defense and catch a wide-open strike from Buer, and after a failed try, led 14-7. Mills hauled in another 4-yard strike from Buer early in the fourth quarter, and after the two hooked up for a two-point conversion the lead was 22-7.
Post Falls will face Mead of Spokane next Friday at Roos Field in Cheney.
Post Falls 0 8 6 8 — 22
Sandpoint 7 0 0 0 — 7
Spt — T.J. Davis 47 catch from Robbie Johnson (Sawyer Seley kick)
PF — Matthew Mills 30 run (Kaden Nelson run)
PF — Mills 23 pass from Nate Buer (run failed)
PF — Mills 4 pass from Buer (Mills catch from Buer)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — PF, Matthew Mills 2-33, Kaden Nelson 17-115, Nate Buer 4-35, Braden Vaughan 14-49, Mark Haines 5-37, Quin Bennett 1-(-1), Dusty Weeks 1-3. Spt, Robbie Johnson 9-31, Levi Irish 20-72, Zack Alamillo 1-2, Walker Jacobson 1-1, Julian Barajas 1-0.
PASSING — PF, Nate Buer, 5-11-0-64, Mark Haines, 6-9-0-39. Spt, Robbie Johnson, 10-27-0-136.
RECEIVING — PF, Michael Mills 1-12, Braden Vaughan 1-(-1), Quin Bennett 2-26, Alan Ballew 2-8, Cody Barber 2-15, Matthew Mills 3-43. Spt, TJ Davis 2-59, Levi Irish 1-3, Clayton Fournier 1-14, Nick Holland 1-3, Walker Jacobson 1-18, Julian Barajas 4-40. KOR Walker Jacobson 1-18, Levi Irish 2-54.