STATE 2A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: 'Jacks headed to 2A title game thanks to late defensive stands

POCATELLO — Backs to the wall — twice — the St. Maries Lumberjacks defense did what it has done all season long.

Kept chopping.

St. Maries forced a turnover on downs, then following a blocked punt, had to hold on late again, and did so, sending the Lumberjacks past the Bear Lake Bears of Montpeiler 20-14 in a state 2A football semifinal game at Holt Arena on Saturday.

“The idea was to run the clock out, and we were doing it effectively until we got a holding penalty,” said St. Maries coach Craig Tefft, referring to a holding penalty called on a late run into Bear Lake territory. “We were just hoping to hold on and that our defense was going to be our defense, and they did it.”

St. Maries (11-0) will face Declo (10-2) in the state 2A championship game next Friday at 4:30 p.m. PST at Holt Arena.

Nate Masterson sacked Bear Lake quarterback Avery Carlsen on a fourth down play to give the Lumberjacks the win.

“Before that sequence, I was sick to my stomach,” Tefft said. “We’d been so dominant on defense, and had we lost, I would have been sick. It was a huge, huge relief. It was huge that Nate got that sack and we were able to get out of there with the win.”

St. Maries allowed 74 yards of offense.

“Our goal has been to get to that (title) game,” Tefft said. “And we’re going to try and win one more. Credit to our boys, they won in a hot environment and the defense was outstanding again.”

Brady Martin caught touchdown passes of 43 and 36 yards from Kiefer Gibson to give St. Maries a 12-0 lead midway into the second quarter. Kaleb Brown extended the lead to 20-7 on a 4-yard run in the third quarter.

“We were able to throw the ball effectively early in the game,” Tefft said. “And we did a good job of moving the ball early, but Bear Lake adjusted. We just struggled on special teams today, and it almost cost us. But we got it done on defense.”

Martin finished with three catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns, Gibson with 132 yards passing and 33 yards rushing for St. Maries.

Sam Roberts had 49 yards rushing and Carlsen threw for 40 yards for Bear Lake, which finishes 7-3.

St. Maries 6 6 8 0 — 20

Bear Lake 0 7 0 7 — 14

SM — Brady Martin 43 pass from Kiefer Gibson (run failed)

SM — Martin 36 pass from Gibson (pass failed)

BL — McKay Alleman 2 run (Biesinger kick)

SM — Kaleb Brown 4 run (Bryant Asbury pass from Gibson)

BL — Sam Roberts 12 run (Biesinger kick)