By way of Hauser

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

POST FALLS — The quarterback may have changed, but the offensive goal of the Post Falls Trojans remains the same.

Get the ball to slot receiver Tommy Hauser.

The Post Falls senior caught 11 passes for 74 yards, scored on a 6-yard option run and intercepted a pass to end the first half as the Trojans edged the Lewiston Bengals 27-26 in a nonleague football game between 5A Inland Empire League schools, a game moved from Lewiston to Trojans Stadium due to poor air quality in Lewiston.

"I'm OK with having a big burden, because I think I can help my team, and keep (the offense going)," said Hauser, who was just as impressive with some of the hits delivered on defenders who closed in on him. "I'm a physical guy; I like contact, and when I see an opportunity I have to take it."

"Any quarterback is going to have a good rapport with Hauser, because you're going to try to get him the ball as much as possible," Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. "We try to get him the ball a bunch."

Senior Jaxon Anderson, replacing two-year starter Derek Pearse at quarterback, completed 22 of 32 passes for 214 yards, including a 7-yard toss to Josiah Shields with 3 minutes left on a rollout right that clinched the game.

"He's a great player," Anderson said of Hauser. "I mean it's so easy to get him the ball, he's always open, and whenever I get it to him it's usually a first down so I just go to him."

Anderson also ran for 92 yards on 14 carries.

"Me and Jaxon have always been friends; we played youth football together, and we've always had that chemistry," Hauser said. "I'm pretty psyched to have him as a teammate, and he's doing a great job."

The game didn't develop into the shootout most expected. Post Falls, for its part, slowed down a Bengal offense that racked up 58 points on Lake City last week. Led by Shields, Kaden Cripps and others, the Trojan defense kept Lewiston quarterback Kash Lang strung out on several of his runs around the corner. He ran for three touchdowns, but was held to 93 yards on 29 carries.

"To hold them to 26 points, after they had 58 last week, that's just a great performance. And the entire defensive staff did a great job," Bennett said. "We were trying to make (Lang) bounce and bounce and bounce."

Lewiston outgained Post Falls 409-381.

With Post Falls leading 21-18 midway through the fourth quarter, Trojan Zachary Clark's interception snuffed a Bengal drive. And after Lewiston scored with 1:04 left, Ethan Miller recovered the Bengals' onside kick to clinch the game.

Post Falls will now travel to Lewiston on Oct. 16 for the game that counts in the 5A IEL standings.

Post Falls plays host to Lake City next Friday in another nonleague game between 5A IEL schools.

Post Falls 0 13 0 14 — 27

Lewiston 6 0 6 14 — 26

First quarter

Lew — Kash Lang 10 run (pass failed), 6:52

Second quarter

PF — Noah Range 5 run (Alexander Luna kick), 9:41

PF — Tommy Hauser 6 run (kick failed), :28

Third quarter

Lew — Lang 11 run (pass failed), 5:15

Fourth quarter

PF — Range 5 run (Kaden Cripps run), 11:55

Lew — Lang 3 run (pass failed), 9:26

PF — Josiah Shields 7 pass from Jaxon Anderson (kick failed), 3:00

Lew — Jared Jelinek 39 pass from Lang (Jace McKarcher run), 1:04

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PF, Range 14-51, Anderson 14-92, Hauser 3-27. Lew, Lang 29-93, Taylor 6-38, Hepburn 13-75, White 1-2.

PASSING — PF, Anderson 22-32-1-211. Lew, Lang 14-25-2-201.

RECEIVING — PF, Hauser 11-74, Lee 4-50, C. Rutherford 4-30, Rodriguez 2-26, Curlee 1-24, Shields 1-7. Lew, Taylor 2-9, White 2-35, Ady 1-13, Grainger 4-20, Hepburn 1-22, Jelinek 4-102.