Post Falls gets picky: Five second-half interceptions — three by Clark — propel Trojans past Lake City

By MARK NELKE

Sports writer

POST FALLS — In the first half, Lake City was on its way to atoning for a disappointing loss the week before.

In the second half, the Post Falls defense took over.

Specifically, Zach Clark happened.

Clark, a junior cornerback, had three of the Trojans' five second-half interceptions, including one he returned 38 yards for a touchdown to tie the game, and Post Falls overcame a 13-0 halftime deficit to defeat Lake City 34-13 on Saturday afternoon at Trojan Stadium, in a nonleague high school football game between 5A Inland Empire League squads.

"The defense came out with way more intensity in the second half," Clark said. "The first half we came out flat-footed, made the improvements, and we got going. DBs just started making plays."

Post Falls (3-1) totaled six interceptions in the game, with Tommy Hauser, Tristan White and Josiah Shields also getting picks. The last four picks, including Clark's pick-six, led to touchdowns after the Trojans were shut out in the first half.

"Really, it was the defense that stepped up in the second half, with the interceptions," Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. "The defense scored, and we got the momentum, and that was what we needed. The defense just played an amazing second half."

In a game moved from Friday night because of poor air quality, Lake City (1-3) came out strong, after losing 20-15 at 4A Sandpoint last week.

The Timberwolves took advantage of a short field after Post Falls ran for it out of punt formation on its first possession and came up short. Uriah Chavez capped a six-play, 33-yard drive with a 4-yard run.

Post Falls then turned the ball over on downs at the Lake City 4.

Early in the second quarter, after connecting with Zach Johnson for 25 yards and Matthew Whitcomb for 21 more, Chris Irvin rolled right and found Whitcomb in the end zone from 2 yards out for a 13-0 lead.

But in the second half, five of Lake City's first six possessions ended in interceptions.

"We didn’t finish like we should have; our effort was not what it should have been," Lake City coach Brian Fulp said of the second half. "We didn’t finish the job. We’ve had three really tough ones (losses) in a row, and we’ve got to figure it out. And that’s on us (coaches); that’s on me. We’ve got to figure out how to finish those games."

Hauser took a pass down the middle from Jaxon Anderson, broke two tackles and scored from 35 yards out to put Post Falls on the board with 5:23 left in the third quarter.

Four plays later, Clark made his first pick of the day, and returned it down the sideline for six with 4:03 left in the quarter.

"I just saw the out route, came under, picked it, and just kept going. Striving to do my best," said Clark, who now has six interceptions this season.

"He played for us last year as a sophomore, and learned a lot, and now he’s one of those main guys as a junior," Bennett said of Clark. "Excellent ball skills, football knowledge is excellent, and just a neat young man."

Logan Koller's PAT made it 14-13, but Post Falls wasn't done.

The Trojans caught a break when Anderson's pass down the left sideline deflected off the hands of a Lake City defender right to Cole Rutherford, who sped down the sideline to complete the 48-yard scoring play.

After Clark's next pick, junior Paxton Page came in at quarterback for Anderson, who suffered a knee or ankle injury, Bennett said. Page completed 3 of 3 passes, including an 8-yarder to a wide-open Hauser with 5:33 left in the game. Hauser finished with eight catches for 83 yards.

Clark's final pick led to an 8-yard scoring run by Nic McLeod with 35 seconds left.

"They played with more heart, that’s what they did," Fulp said of Post Falls in the second half.

On Friday, Lake City plays host to Coeur d'Alene in a nonleague game between 5A IEL schools, and Post Falls travels to Lakeland.

Lake City 7 6 0 0 — 13

Post Falls 0 0 14 20 — 34

First quarter

LC — Uriah Chavez 4 run (Kyrus Condon kick), 7:42

Second quarter

LC — Matthew Whitcomb 2 pass from Chris Irvin (kick failed), 8:57

Third quarter

PF — Tommy Hauser 35 pass from Jaxon Anderson (Logan Koller kick), 5:23

PF — Zach Clark 38 interception return (Koller kick), 4:03

Fourth quarter

PF — Cole Rutherford 48 pass from Anderson (Koller kick), 10:05

PF — Hauser 8 pass from Paxton Page (Koller kick), 5:33

PF — Nic McLeod 8 run (kick failed), :35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — LC, Chavez 15-55, Webb 7-55, Irvin 2-7, Johnson 1-18. PF, Anderson 10-5, C. Rutherford 3-11, Range 14-61, Curlee 1-9, McLeod 14-50.

PASSING — LC, Irvin 15-26-6-135. PF, Anderson 11-22-0-138, Page 3-3-0-49.

RECEIVING — LC, Johnson 4-43, Whitcomb 4-47, Bowman 2-5, Rosenau 2-20, Chavez 1-6, Webb 2-14. PF, Range 1-2, Hauser 8-83, Rodriguez 3-56, Lee 1-(minus 2), C. Rutherford 1-48.