Eight turnovers spell 'L' for Lake City

SPOKANE VALLEY — Unable to run the ball, the Lake City Timberwolves tried their luck through the air Friday night.

That turned out even worse.

Lake City quarterbacks threw six interceptions, and the Timberwolves finished with eight turnovers in a 43-0 loss to the Central Valley Bears at Central Valley High.

“I thought our defense played great; we just couldn’t move the ball offensively,” Lake City coach Bryce Erickson said. “And it really started with not being able to run the football.”

Lake City (1-2) managed just three first downs in the first half as Central Valley (1-1) loaded the box and stuffed the run. The T-Wolves threw four interceptions in the first half, one of them returned 17 yards for a touchdown by Jase Edwards. Lake City trailed 13-0 at the half, and it could have been worse.

Central Valley started four straight first-half drives in Lake City territory, but produced just three points from those possessions. Ryan Rehkow, who has committed to BYU, missed two of his four field goal attempts in the first half.

Lake City forced a fumble on the game’s second play, but was called for a helmet-to-helmet hit, negating the turnover. The T-Wolves forced a punt but muffed it and CV recovered at the 15, leading to a field goal.

At halftime, Lake City was 3 of 9 passing for 13 yards and four interceptions. The T-Wolves were picked off on three straight possessions late in the half.

Late in the half, down 13-0, Lake City’s Brayden Pollow intercepted a CV pass and returned it to the Bears 10. But two plays later, CV took the ball back with an interception.

“They’re a physical football team, and in that first half, I thought that was one of the best halves I’ve seen a defense play,” Erickson said of CV. “They kept giving us chances, and we kept shooting ourselves in the foot. Penalties, turnovers, and really, they dominated us up front. We had trouble running the ball. They loaded the box, and we just didn’t make enough big plays down the field. When they load the box like that, we’ve got to be able to protect, and we’ve got to be able to throw and catch.”

Lake City remained within striking distance until midway through the third quarter. T-Wolf running back Grant Clark was tackled in the end zone for a safety, and CV suddenly started to connect through the air, throwing for touchdowns on three straight completions. The Bears scored after the safety, after another interception, and after recovering a Lake City fumble.

“But I thought our defense played great in the first half, and through the middle of the third quarter,” Erickson said. “It’s hard, when you’re squandering opportunities and struggling to move the ball, to stay in it defensively.”

Jason Pierard had six catches for 54 yards for Lake City.

“We went back to the basics this week, defensively,” said first-year Central Valley coach Ryan Butner, whose Bears lost 47-11 in the season opener last week at Coeur d’Alene. “We were not complicated whatsoever, focused a lot of our attention on fundamentals, because last week we felt like that got away from us against Coeur d’Alene.”

Lake City travels to Hillcrest (1-2) of Idaho Falls next Saturday.

Lake City 0 0 0 0 — 0

Central Valley 6 7 23 7 — 43

First quarter

CV — FG Ryan Rehkow 29, 9:28

CV — FG Rehkow 49, 1:26

Second quarter

CV — Jase Edwards 17 interception return (Rehkow kick), 7:16

Third quarter

CV — Safety Grant Clark tackled in end zone, 4:49

CV — Nathan Bannon 23 pass from Conner DeGeest (Rehkow kick), 4:05

CV — Bannon 10 pass from DeGeest (Rehkow kick), 1:54

CV — Micah Mason 17 pass from DeGeest (Rehkow kick), 1:01

Fourth quarter

CV — Brian Munro 19 pass from Grant Hannan (Rehkow kick), 5:46

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — LC, Clark 17-56, Duchow 4-6, R. Lettau 3-1, Buttz 6-18, Z. Lettau 5-38. CV, Orrino 7-12, Gabbert 1-19, DeGeest 5-21, Hannan 2-(minus 11), Phakdymanivong 3-10.

PASSING — LC, Duchow 2-6-2-8, Buttz 8-17-4-82. CV, DeGeest 16-37-1-203, Gabbert 2-2-0-10, Hannan 4-6-0-43.

RECEIVING — LC, Baughman 3-14, Pierard 6-54, Kosiancik 1-22. CV, Edwards 2-6, Bannon 3-42, Tomlinson 9-102, Quinn 2-46, Orrino 1-0, Mason 1-17, Deering 2-11, Ames 1-13, Munro 1-19.