A match met in Meridian
DARIN OSWALD/Idaho Statesman Mountain View defensive lineman Van Goyen sacks Post Falls quarterback Derek Pearse in the second quarter of Friday’s state 5A football quarterfinal game in Meridian.
DARIN OSWALD/Idaho Statesman Mountain View linebacker Dylan Martinez plants Post Falls running back Tommy Hauser into the turf for a big loss in the state 5A football quarterfinals on Friday in Meridian.
DARIN OSWALD/Idaho Statesman Mountain View defensive back Alec Simeon tackles Post Falls receiver Tommy Hauser on a quick outside pass during a state 5A football quarterfinal game in Meridian on Friday.
MERIDIAN — Post Falls played its best football of the season against Lewiston, Coeur d’Alene and Skyview — all at home — to get to this point in the season.
Friday night, the Trojans met their match.
Post Falls took the opening drive to midfield before Kaden Chan returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to give Mountain View an early lead.
“It was one-sided from then on,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “It was a really dominant performance from Mountain View. They’re a big, physical team and well-coached. They’ve got some great team speed and dominated in all three phases.”
Post Falls finished 5-5.
“Anytime we’d get a receiver open, they’d show up,” Bennett said. “It was just a great performance from Mountain View.”
Post Falls beat Skyview of Nampa 42-37 in an opening-round game last week — the Trojans’ first playoff win since 1995.
“We just faced a superior opponent tonight,” Bennett said. “Our team had a great season and you can see a lot of positives. We played a good game vs. Lewiston, Coeur d’Alene and Skyview, but we met our match tonight. Mountain View’s a good football team, and we’re not at that level yet. It was a good year for these seniors to make it in back-to-back years to the playoffs. This junior class is an excellent class, and we’ve got an excellent sophomore class. As a program, we’re excited with where we’re at. To be able to have the success we had this year, it was awesome. It was a great trip down here, but that was a superior opponent tonight.”
Mountain View (8-2) will face Highland (9-1) in the semifinals next Friday or Saturday at Holt Arena in Pocatello. Highland beat Eagle 41-14 in another quarterfinal on Friday in Pocatello.
Post Falls 0 0 0 0 — 0
Mountain View 21 15 21 0 — 57
MV — Kaden Chan 93 punt return (Kyle Hugo kick)
MV — Jaymon Barrus 1 run (Joey Elwell run)
MV — Chan 1 pass from Noah Bryant (run failed)
MV — Chan 66 pass from Bryant (Hugo kick)
MV — Barrus 1 run (Elwell run)
MV — Colby Peugh 23 pass from Bryant (Hugo kick)
MV — Leighton Smithson 80 run (Hugo kick)
MV — Smithson 80 run (Hugo kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — PF, Hauser 4-12, 41 2-8, Young 4-7, 1 1-5, 41 1-5, Shields 2-0, Gondo 7-(-2), Pearse 3-(-22). MV, Smithson 15-144, Barrus 11-21, Chan 2-16, Gibson 3-16, Bryant 2-0.
PASSING — PF, Pearse, 21-39-1-85. MV, Bryant, 13-18-0-183, Peugh 1-1-0-23, Farris, 1-1-0-22.
RECEIVING — PF, Hauser 8-42, C. Rutherford 3-16, Young 2-8, Shields 4-7, J. Rutherford 1-7, Gondo 2-5, 3 1-0. MV, Chan 3-85, Jablonski 5-71, Bryant 1-23, Perry 1-22, Lynch 2-15, Barrus 1-12, Peugh 1-0.