STATE 4A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS: Hawks grounded by Blackfoot

RATHDRUM — When you have an extra week to get ready for your first game in the state playoffs, well, you have time to think of a few things.

The Lakeland Hawks tried three different quarterbacks in its first four possessions, and used some formations that might have stretched back to the leather-helmet era in their state 4A football quarterfinal playoff game against Blackfoot on Friday night.

And while the Hawks’ trickery kept it interesting, Blackfoot’s three-touchdown lead built after 9 minutes of play provided enough of a cushion as the Broncos went on to a 35-14 victory at Corbit Field.

“I think what we went through last season, going 1-8, and coming back and doing what they did (winning the 4A Inland Empire League this year), it really built a lot of character, and there was just no quit in them,” Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said.

Blackfoot (8-3) scored on its first three possessions and will travel to Bishop Kelly (10-0) next weekend in the semifinals.

Lakeland, in the playoffs for the fourth straight year, finished 5-5.

While Blackfoot scored at ease early, Lakeland went to the wildcat on the first drive, and managed just three yards in its first three drives.

In the middle of the fourth possession, the Hawks went to Plan B.

With Ryan Pote at quarterback, Lakeland started flanking out linemen on each side — one on each side on some plays, two on each side on others — and throwing bubble screens with the beef already on the edge to block. On one fourth-down play, the Hawks used the swinging gate formation — one receiver flanked right, everyone else to the left.

It confused Blackfoot enough to keep the drive going, with the help of a 19-yard prayer of a completion on fourth and 6.

Lakeland capped it on fourth and 3 from 8 when Owen Dickens, with the Hawks back into the wildcat, lobbing a touchdown pass to Jared Cysewski to cut Blackfoot’s lead to 21-7 with 8:28 left in the half.

“They (the different formations) were things that we didn’t know if we were going to use,” Kiefer said. “But we felt, if we were going to have a hard time moving the ball, that we could do some things to infuse some life into what we do. Unfortunately, we had to use them, which means that we weren’t moving the ball like we wanted to. I think doing things that are a little non-traditional can challenge a defense ... anything we can do to make a defense struggle to prepare for us, we’ll do.”

“What it kinda tells us is, we’re doing a pretty good job stopping the offense, and so they have to resort a little bit to try and move the ball,” Blackfoot coach Stan Buck said. “We just have to be on cue mentally, and not give up a big play.”

Jager Leavitt, who finished with 189 yards on 27 carries, broke loose for a 21-yard TD run to make Blackfoot’s halftime lead 28-7.

Lakeland’s Nathan Johnson had an interception, and Tanner Fuston blocked a field goal, as the Hawks slowed the Blackfoot attack in the second half.

Early in the fourth quarter, Logan Siegford of Lakeland completed a deep pass to Cysewski, and when the defensive back fell down, Cysewski took it to the house for a 64-yard scoring play, cutting Blackfoot’s lead to 28-14 with 9:29 left.

But the Broncos answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Leavitt’s 11-yard run with 6:16 left.

“It’s always hard to gauge speed on film,” Kiefer said. “I think they were a little faster, and they were definitely more physical than what we thought from game film.”

Lakeland had 8 yards rushing in the first half. The Hawks finished with 86 yards on the ground, helped by a 68-yard burst by Josh Brandt from his own 2 midway through the third quarter. He finished with 90 yards on five carries.

Blackfoot needed just five plays on each drive to build its 21-0 lead. Hayes ran 28 yards on a keeper as the Broncos took the opening kickoff and scored in less than 2 minutes. Hayes then connected on scoring tosses of 27 yards to Sean Clarke and 21 yards to Konner Robinson.

“We just couldn’t put it together on offense today,” said Pote, who earned praise from Kiefer for his play Friday night. “The defense can’t do it all when they’re on the field the whole game.”

Blackfoot 21 7 0 7 — 35

Lakeland 0 7 0 7 — 14

First quarter

Black — Pacen Hayes 28 run (Coque Velasquez kick), 10:19

Black — Sean Clarke 27 pass from Hayes (Velasquez kick), 6:34

Black — Konner Robinson 21 pass from Hayes (Velasquez kick), 2:54

Second quarter

LL — Jared Cysewski 8 pass from Owen Dickens (Noah Feusier kick), 8:28

Black — Jager Leavitt 21 run (Velasquez kick), 2:08

Fourth quarter

LL — Cysewski 64 pass from Logan Siegford (Feusier kick), 9:29

Black — Leavitt 11 run (Velasquez kick), 6:16

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Black, Leavitt 27-189, Hayes 6-4, Colvin 2-11, Robinson 3-30, Shelley 1-(minus 1). LL, Dickens 7-(minus 10), Gatten 7-7, Brandt 5-90, Pote 7-(minus 5), Siegford 1-(minus 2), Neilson 3-4, McDaniel 1-2.

PASSING — Black, Hayes 7-17-1-150. LL, Pote 10-18-1-112, Siegford 1-2-0-64, Dickens 1-3-0-8.

RECEIVING — Black, Robinson 3-69, Colvin 1-14, Clarke 3-67. LL, Brandt 1-12, Neilson 5-44, Cysewski 2-72, Mackesy 3-59, Gatten 1-(minus 3).