Lake City outlasts Sandpoint in two overtimes

COEUR d’ALENE — Sandpoint and Lake City, two programs in rebuilding mode, put on an old-fashioned slugfest of a game that took more than four quarters to decide Friday night.

On the second possession of the second overtime, Chris Irvin hit Travis Jerome on a slant pattern from the right, and Jerome took it into the end zone to complete the 15-yard scoring play as Lake City beat Sandpoint 19-13 in nonleague play.

“That was a really, really tough game,” first-year Lake City coach Brian Fulp said. “We knew it was going to be physical; Sandpoint plays really physical; they always do.”

Lake City (3-3) won its third-straight game.

Sandpoint (1-5) trailed throughout, but kept pushing. On fourth and goal from the Lake City 10 in the final minute, Bulldog quarterback Jaxon Pettit rolled left, saw an opening, took off for the end zone, diving across the goal line to tie the game at 13 with 23 seconds left.

But the PAT was blocked, and the teams went to overtime, starting at the opponent’s 10.

Lake City had the ball first, but fumbled the handoff on the first play and Sandpoint recovered.

Two runs by Dillan Mitton, and one by Pettit, moved the ball to the Lake City 4, setting up fourth down. Sandpoint eschewed the field goal, and Mitton was stopped a yard short of the end zone.

Sandpoint had the ball first in the second overtime. On the first play, Pettit appeared to have Stockton open in the end zone, but pressure from Lake City’s Jackson Bronsell forced an underthrown pass, intercepted by Kaleb Allen in the end zone.

Lake City was called for illegal procedure on its first play, then Irvin hooked up with Jerome on the next snap to win the game.

“We’re talking inches,” first-year Sandpoint coach Ryan Knowles said. “That’s the attention to detail that it takes. Too many penalties; so many penalties. Just sloppiness ... boys are hurtin’ right now. We’ve got to find a way to be a little bit tougher.”

Mitton ran for 122 yards on 35 punishing carries, many times delivering the hit rather than receiving one.

“Mitton’s a tough sucker; he’s a fighter,” Knowles said. “It’s pretty hard not to give him the ball in tough situations — him and (Alex) Stockton. They’re just at a different level.”

Stockton, a tight end, lined up in the backfield at times and ran eight times for 41 yards. He also caught two passes for 51 yards.

Zane Lettau, Lake City’s 235-pound battering ram of a running back, missed the game because he was in concussion protocol,” Fulp said.

“And then our second-string running back (Nate Hayes) went down,” Fulp said. “So we were down to our third. And to win in that situation is awesome for those kids; they deserve this. We’re thin, with not a lot of bodies, but these guys play for each other, and they play hard.”

Sandpoint, led by Tag Benefield and others, held Lake City to 45 rushing yards on 22 carries. Anthony Chavez, the T-Wolves’ No. 3 running back, gained 43 yards on 12 carries. By comparision, Hayes and Chavez are both 160-pounders.

Penalties hurt both teams. Sandpoint was flagged 10 times for 109 yards, Lake City seven times for 90 yards. Both teams had a touchdown called back because of a penalty, and Lake City had an interception wiped out because of a flag.

Lake City scored on its first possession, Hayes running it in from a yard out midway through the first quarter, a TD set up by Irvin’s 47-yard completion to Logan Jeanselme to the Sandpoint 4. Hayes was hurt on defense later in the half.

Lake City threatened again on its next possession, but Christian Niemela broke up a pass for the Bulldogs and teammate Tyler Lehman intercepted it.

Lake City led 10-0 late in the first half, when a roughing-the-passer penalty negated an interception. Sandpoint took advantage, and Pettit snuck it in from a yard out to make it 10-7 at the half.

Sandpoint opens 4A Inland Empire League play next Friday at home vs. Moscow.

Lake City opens 5A IEL play next Friday at home vs. Post Falls.

Sandpoint 0 7 0 6 0 0 — 13

Lake City 7 3 3 0 0 6 — 19

First quarter

LC — Nate Hayes 1 run (Caden Powell kick), 6:20

Second quarter

LC — FG Powell 34, 7:52

Spt — Jaxon Pettit 1 run (Dylan Peterson kick), :06

Third quarter

LC — FG Powell 24, 4:07

Fourth quarter

Spt — Pettit 10 run (kick blocked), :23

Second overtime

LC — Travis Jerome 15 pass from Chris Irvin (no attempt)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Spt, Stockton 8-41, Mitton 35-122, Pettit 4-18, Plummber 1-2, Niemela 1-12. LC, Hayes 7-7, Chavez 12-43, Irvin 3-(minus 5).

PASSING — Spt, Pettit 7-18-1-78, Plummer 0-3-0-0. LC — Irvin 18-33-1-182.

RECEIVING — Spt, Stockton 2-15, Elliott 1-5, Plummer 2-7, Bloomberg 2-15. LC, Jeanselme 7-81, Chavez 3-9, Jerome 7-70, Whitcomb 1-22.