Skillz ... and skills
The Post Falls defense gang tackles Sandpoint’s Dillan Mitton for the loss during Friday night’s game. The Trojans defeated the visiting Bulldogs 56-12. LOREN BENOIT/Press
LOREN BENOIT/PressPost Falls wide receiver Allen Ballew catches a deep pass versus Sandpoint's Sam Diercks during Friday's game at Post Falls High School.
POST FALLS — Since last season, the Post Falls Trojans have gone from ground and pound to speed kills.
Braden Vaughan rushed for three touchdowns on his first six carries, Taylor Ryan sped for two scores and Post Falls ran away from the Sandpoint Bulldogs 56-12 in the season opener for both teams on Friday night at Trojan Stadium.
“One of our strengths is our skill positions,” second-year Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “We like our cornerbacks, our wide receivers, our safeties, our running backs ... Whereas last year our line carried us, this year we have some talent on the perimeter, and we’re trying to get them the ball.”
Vaughan ran for 88 yards on eight carries, including a 44-yard scamper in the second quarter.
Sandpoint matched Post Falls’ touchdown on the opening drive with one of its own. On fourth and 5 at the Post Falls 42, Sandpoint quarterback Robbie Johnson rolled left, then threw back right to a wide-open Alex Stockton, who caught the short pass and raced into the end zone.
But after that, Sandpoint miscues helped Post Falls blow it open.
Trying to punt from their 22, the Bulldogs snapped the ball over the punter’s head and into the end zone, and he was tackled at the 3. Nate Buer hit Allen Ballew on a short pass to the left for the TD on the next play.
Buer’s 7-yard pass to Junior Williams increased Post Falls’ lead to 26-9 at the half.
Sandpoint had another punt-snap snafu early in the third quarter which resulted in a safety, then Ryan ran the free kick back 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 42-9. The Trojans went on to score 30 points in the quarter, which was capped by Ryan’s 55-yard catch-and-run of a short pass down the left seam by Buer.
“We struggled a little bit offensively,” second-year Sandpoint coach George Yarno said. “Then they started heating us up defensively. We’ve got some work to do, but we can fix the mistakes we made.”
Sandpoint outgained Post Falls 177-171 in the first half, but was outgained 136-62 in the second half. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock.
Post Falls sacked Johnson three times in the first half, twice by linebacker Coleton Kazmierczak. And fellow ’backer Gage Ficklin laid the wood to a couple Sandpoint players, one on a screen pass that could have been nominated for a SportsCenter Top 10 play.
Buer was 8 for 12 passing with three touchdown passes, and completed his last seven throws.
Junior Williams showed explosiveness on special teams, and also caught a 7-yard TD pass from Buer.
“We’ve got a pretty good team this year,” Vaughan said. “Defensively, we have some hard hitters.”
Post Falls plays Mead next Friday at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.
Sandpoint 6 3 0 3 — 12
Post Falls 7 19 30 0 — 56
First quarter
PF — Braden Vaughan 3 run (Vaughan kick), 9:39
Spt — Alex Stockton 42 pass from Robbie Johnson (kick blocked), 2:29
Second quarter
PF — Allen Ballew 3 pass from Nate Buer (Vaughan kick), 11:45
PF — Vaughan 44 run (kick failed), 6:53
Spt — FG Garrett Chandler 25, 1:39
PF — Junior Williams 7 pass from Buer (run failed), :52
Third quarter
PF — Safety Payton Cox takes knee in end zone
PF — Taylor Ryan 65 free kick return (Vaughan kick), 10:24
PF — Vaughan 5 run (Vaughan kick), 8:19
PF — Quin Bennett 6 run (Vaughan kick), 5:51
PF — Ryan 55 pass from Buer (Vaughan kick), 1:32
Fourth quarter
Spt — FG Chandler 27, 2:04
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Spt, Johnson 20-64, D. Mitton 16-48, Norris 3-17, Plummer 5-16. PF, Barber 1-(minus 6), Vaughan 8-88, Williams 1-9, Bennett 4-28, Ryan 1-12, Sciortino 2-21, Maddox 1-2.
PASSING — Spt, Johnson 6-13-0-120, Plummer 1-3-0-8. PF, Buer 9-12-0-153.
RECEIVING — Spt, Stockton 2-44, Barajas 1-10, D. Mitton 2-33, Davis 1-33, Horning 1-8. PF, Ballew 2-40, Bourgard 1-1, Williams 2-46, Barber 3-11, Ryan 1-55.