PREP FOOTBALL: Lesson learned late — Lake City blanks Sandpoint in second half to snap four-game losing streak

COEUR d'ALENE — After a 20-15 setback on Sept. 11 at Barlow Stadium, Lake City coach Brian Fulp had a heart-to-heart chat with his quarterback Chris Irvin.

In part, it was about making plays. Not necessarily those big 70- to 80-yard touchdown passes, but the other, smaller, win-your-team-the-game-on-homecoming kind of plays.

With under three minutes remaining in Friday's game, Irvin made one to set up another as the Timberwolves pushed past the Sandpoint Bulldogs 21-13 in a nonleague game at Lake City High.

"We've got some design stuff and some other stuff that we'll run," said Irvin, whose 17-yard run on an option play on third down set up a 7-yard pass to Porter Howard to give Lake City a 21-13 lead with 2:35 remaining. "We're just trying to get more guys involved in the run game."

As for the passing game, Irvin pushed the Timberwolves into the lead at 14-13 on a 14-yard touchdown on a fade pass to Zach Johnson in the end zone with 9:12 remaining.

"I just thought my guy was better than their guy," Irvin said. "I just threw it up to him and let him make a play on it, and he did."

Trailing late in the two teams' previous game earlier this season in Sandpoint, Irvin was intercepted late on a potential go-ahead score, allowing the Bulldogs to claim a victory.

"We talked about making the right play," Fulp said. "You don't have to make the spectacular play, and just take what they give you, and he did a good job of that tonight."

Irvin, who passed for 171 yards and two touchdowns, also ran for 37 for Lake City (2-4), which hosts Post Falls to open 5A Inland Empire League play next Friday.

"He's a great athlete," Fulp said. "It's not something that he's done a lot in the past, but we're very comfortable with him doing that (running). That was a great run by him (in the fourth quarter). We had great blocking on the perimeter and our offensive line in the second half really stepped it up."

Sandpoint led 13-6 at halftime, keyed by a 12-yard touchdown run by Parker Pettit with 7:17 remaining in the half. Pettit, who threw for 135 yards in the first half, failed to complete a pass in the second half.

Lake City senior linebacker Uriah Chavez had two sacks on Sandpoint's final possession to preserve the win.

"Our defense shut them out in the second half," Fulp said. "At halftime, we talked about execution and we talked about a couple of things and came out ready to go. Our defense was absolutely locked in tonight. They responded to the challenge."

Sandpoint (1-4) has a bye next Friday and returns to action on Oct. 16, hosting Moscow in 4A IEL play at Barlow Stadium.

Sandpoint 3 10 0 0 — 13

Lake City 6 0 0 15 — 21

First quarter

Spt — FG, Elek Christoferson 20, 4:38

LC — Xander Webb 6 pass from Chris Irvin (kick failed), :00

Second quarter

Spt — Parker Pettit 12 run (Christoferson kick), 7:17

Spt — FG, Christoferson, 29, :00.

Fourth quarter

LC — Zach Johnson 14 pass from Irvin (Jace Bowman pass from Irvin), 9:12

LC — Parker Howard 7 pass from Irvin (Kyrus Condon kick), 2:35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Spt, Cox 12-43, Pettit 15-78, Benefield 1-0. LC, Hardin 3-9, Irvin 8-37, Howard 2-(-1), Webb 13-55.

PASSING — Spt, Pettit, 11-25-1-135. LC, Irvin, 16-24-0-171.

RECEIVING — Spt, Kappen 3-23, Thielbahr 4-71, VanDenBerg 1-24, Cox 2-13, Newhart 1-11. LC, Whitcomb 4-59, Bauman 2-18, Howard 2-12, Webb 1-6, Rosenau 2-15, Johnson 4-69, Stephens 1-3.