Takeaways doom Trojans in loss at Albi
SPOKANE — Quarterback Derek Pearse threw for 431 yards and three touchdowns for Post Falls, but a late 65-yard touchdown run by Keani Guthmueller allowed the Lewis and Clark Tigers to hold off the Trojans 43-36 in a nonleague football game at Joe Albi Stadium on Saturday.
Lewis and Clark outgained Post Falls 525-516, forcing four Trojan turnovers, two via interceptions and two lost fumbles.
“We fumbled the ball on a kickoff and threw a couple of interceptions in bad places on the field,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “We just didn’t play a clean game.”
Post Falls took a 36-35 lead on Nic McLeod’s 9-yard touchdown run. Guthmueller’s 65-yard run gave it to Lewis and Clark for good.
“We moved the ball into the red zone late, but just couldn’t get it in the end zone,” Bennett said. “Lewis and Clark is a good football team. We just didn’t play a good game in all three phases. We gave up some big plays on defense and didn’t play clean on special teams.
The game, previously scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m., was pushed back, then eventually moved to Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. due to lightning in the area of the stadium on Friday, which pushed back the start time for the game to be played prior to Post Falls’ game.
Christian Curlee had eight catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns for Post Falls (4-2), which hosts Lake City in the 5A Inland Empire League opener for both schools on Friday.
“Christian made some big plays for us in the end zone,” Bennett said. “It was just one of those games where we’d do some things, but couldn’t get the momentum. We’d go up, and they’d go down and take the lead. Lewis and Clark played hard, and they’ve got some talented players.”
Lewis and Clark, which lost 45-21 to Lake City in its season opener, is 2-3.
Post Falls 7 14 7 8 — 36
Lewis and Clark 14 7 14 8 — 43
First quarter
PF — Eli Gondo 1 run (Josh Brisendine kick)
L-C — Josh Bewick 38 pass from Jace Parbon (Mitchell Simpson kick)
L-C — Parbon 2 run (Simpson kick)
Second quarter
PF — Jacob Burton 12 pass from Derek Pearse (Brisendine kick)
LC — Keani Guthmueller 1 run (Simpson kick)
PF — Christian Curlee 20 pass from Pearse (Brisendine kick)
Third quarter
LC — Guthmueller 31 run (Simpson kick)
PF — Curlee 19 pass from Pearse (Brisendine kick)
LC — Martin 14 pass from Parbon (Simpson kick)
Fourth quarter
PF — Nic McLeod 9 run (Gondo run)
LC — Guthmueller 65 run (Parbon run)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — PF, Pearse 4-31, Hauser 1-5, Gondo 17-60, McLeod 10-51. L-C, Potter 2-9, Parbon 13-110, Guthmueller 21-142.
PASSING — PF, Pearse, 34-52-2-431. L-C, Parbon, 19-30-1-264.
RECEIVING — PF, Hauser 7-99, Burton 5-71, Gondo 4-24, Sessions 1-7, McLeod 3-19, Lee 4-64, Rodriguez 1-24, Curlee 8-123. L-C, Bewick 10-140, Potter 1-6, Guthmueller 1-38, Martin 5-63, Dunlap 1-24, Conklin 1-3.