Viks nab another league title
Coeur d’Alene High’s Nate Burch (82) and Ryan Linehan (85) celebrate a quarter-back sack in the final minutes of Friday night’s game at Post Falls High School. LOREN BENOIT/Press
Coeur d'Alene High running back Shilo Morgan runs the ball upfield against Post Falls on Friday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
POST FALLS — Slow and steady nearly won the race for the Post Falls Trojans on Friday night.
But Coeur d’Alene did the most with its limited possessions — particularly in the second half — and the Vikings made a key defensive play late to secure a 28-13 victory over the Trojans in the championship game of the 5A Inland Empire League at Trojan Stadium.
“They had a great game plan — just chunked away, kept the ball out of our hands, and to their credit they were able to do it,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said of the Trojans, who actually huddled on offense and took as much time off the clock as they could before snapping the ball. “And they’re physical, and tackle well. I think coach (Blaine) Bennett’s done a great job, especially losing (30) seniors and they’re off to the playoffs again. When our league teams are good, it does nothing but help us.”
Both teams had already clinched playoff berths the previous week.
By repeating as league champs Friday night, Coeur d’Alene (8-0, 3-0 5A IEL) earns a first-round bye, and opens Nov. 2 at home in the quarterfinals vs. the winner of next week’s first-round game between Capital (6-3) and Borah (5-4).
Post Falls (4-4, 2-1) will play at home next Friday, against an at-large team expected to be determined today — either Lewiston or Skyview.
“We were trying to keep the ball away from their quarterback, and play a different style than we normally play,” Bennett said. “We did some good things, especially in the second half.”
Coeur d’Alene had the ball just three times in the second half.
Post Falls took the second half kickoff and embarked on an 18-play, 80-yard drive capped by Eli Gondo’s 3-yard run that pulled the Trojans within 12-7. More importantantly for Post Falls, ate up 7 minutes, 9 seconds off the clock.
Coeur d’Alene responded with a seven-play, 78-yard drive, scoring in less than three minutes. Shilo Morgan ran inside, bounced it outside and dove across the goal line inside the pylon to increase the Vikings’ lead to 18-7.
Post Falls put together another 80-yard drive, this time in 13 plays, capped by Gondo’s 7-yard TD run over the left side to cut it to 18-13 with 8:11 left.
Coeur d’Alene then drove to the Post Falls 14 before the drive stalled, and Gabe Nazemi booted a 31-yard field goal to make it 21-13 with 3:49 remaining.
Post Falls went for it on fourth and 4 on its 26. But Viking defensive ends Nate Burch and Ryan Linehan crashed in and sacked quarterback Derek Pearse for an 8-yard loss. Two plays later, Morgan burst 15 yards up the gut for a score, and that was the game.
Post Falls converted three fourth downs in the second half, though one came when punter Carson LaMastus scooped up a bad snap and managed to weave 11 yards through the Vikings defenders for a first down.
“We did feel like we were going to have to steal a couple of possessions, and stay out there,” Bennett said.
Coeur d’Alene outgained Post Falls 398-229. Yards came tough for the Trojans, especially up the middle, but even without standout sophomore receiver Tommy Hauser (concussion protocol), Post Falls ground out enough yards to keep the ball away from the Vikings.
Post Falls ran 64 plays to Coeur d’Alene’s 51. The Vikings ran just 19 plays in the second half. Each team had just five possessions in the first alf. Coeur d’Alene scored on two of its first three drives, Morgan and Kale Edwards scoring on short runs for a 12-0 halftime lead.
Post Falls’ pace was certainly a test of the Vikings’ patience.
“I thought our kids did real well, because it is frustrating,” Amos said. “We’re a tempo team, and ... well, everybody’s a tempo team right now. In fact, Post Falls can play real fast if they want to, and they just hit the brakes, and our kids did a good job of staying composed, and understanding.”
Coeur d’Alene 12 0 6 10 — 28
Post Falls 0 0 7 6 — 13
First quarter
Cd’A — Shilo Morgan 1 run (kick failed), 9:46
Cd’A — Kale Edwards 2 run (pass failed), 2:20
Third quarter
PF — Eli Gondo 3 run (Alex Horning kick), 4:51
Cd’A — Morgan 14 run (pass failed), 2:05
Fourth quarter
PF — Gondo 7 run (run failed), 8:11
Cd’A — FG Gabe Nazemi 31, 3:49
Cd’A — Morgan 15 run (Nazemi kick), 1:40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Cd’A, Edwards 11-89, Morgan 11-93. PF, Pearse 13-28, Gondo 17-44, C. Rutherford 4-22, LaMastus 1-11.
PASSING — Cd’A, Edwards 23-29-0-216. PF, Pearse 17-29-1-124.
RECEIVING — Cd’A, Hagel 4-30, L. Nosworthy 1-13, Morgan 6-52, C. Nosworthy 3-26, Brown 5-40, Friesz 3-51, Linehan 1-4. PF, C. Rutherford 7-23, J. Rutherford 1-6, Gondo 2-12, Young 2-19, Shields 5-64.