PREP FOOTBALL: Trojans make Sandpoint feel the Burn(s) in opener
By MAX OSWALD
Hagadone News Network
SANDPOINT — The Post Falls rushing attack proved to be too much as senior Tevin Burns ran for 253 yards and three touchdowns as the Trojans opened the season with a 41-21 win over the Sandpoint Bulldogs at War Memorial Field on Friday.
For Post Falls, in addition to Burns’ big game, McKeown went 15 for 25 behind center for 208 yards with one interception. Shields finished with seven receptions for 125 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Asher Bowie got much more involved in the second half, finishing with six receptions for 41 yards.
“Post Falls’s quick tempo was working on offense and caused some troubles for us as a young team,” head coach Ryan Knowles said. “We had too many third and fourth downs where our defense should have been off the field. It’s something we will learn from … our next game against Coeur d’Alene is going to be tough, but we’re going to figure out who we are — we will.”
Post Falls travels to face Timberline of Boise next Friday at Dona Larsen Park. Sandpoint hosts Coeur d'Alene next Friday.
Post Falls started off the game with a 72-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard receiving touchdown from Issac McKeown to Alexander Shields. On the ensuing drive, the Bulldogs responded with a 15-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Hunter Garcia. At the end of the first quarter, Post Falls’s Taycen Genatone recovered a fumble and the Trojans would end up scoring again, 13-7.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs ate up a lot of clock on an 8-minute drive that ended with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Garcia. Post Falls would strike back on the last play of the quarter as Shields hauled in another touchdown pass from McKeown, 20-14 Trojans at halftime.
In the third, the Bulldogs came out strong. Wide receiver Drew Lehman caught a 15-yard touchdown pass just inside the pylon after another long drive to give Sandpoint a 21-20 lead. During the rest of the half, Sandpoint had trouble stopping the Trojans ground game as Post Falls would go on to score 21 unanswered points to secure the 41-21 victory; all touchdowns were rushing and came from running back Tevin Burns. Burns had 29 carries for a toal of 253 yards on Friday.
For Sandpoint, Garcia finished the night with 14 rushes for 100 yards and three total touchdowns – two rushing and one passing. In the air, the senior went 7 for 16 for 53 yards and gave up two interceptions. Kody Brewster had 21 carries for 110 yards. Lehman came away with four receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, Sandpoint’s Graham Dunkel recorded an interception in the fourth quarter. Post Falls’s Tyras Blake came away with two interceptions, both in the fourth quarter.
Post Falls 13 7 7 14 – 41
Sandpoint 7 7 7 0 – 21
First quarter
PF – Alexander Shields 22 pass from Issac McKeown (missed PAT), 9:30
SPT – Hunter Garcia 15 run, 2:09
PF – Shields 15 pass from McKeown, 0:31
Second quarter
SPT – Garcia 2 run, 1:30
PF – Shields 22 pass from Mckeown, 0:01
Third quarter
SPT – Drew Lehman 15 pass from Garcia, 3:54
PF – Tevin Burns 18 run, 1:04
Fourth quarter
PF – Burns 34 run, 10:40
PF – Burns 4 run, 6:21
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – PF, Burns 29-253, Mckeown 4-11, Craig 1-7. SPT, Garcia 14-100, Brwester 21-110, Lehman 5-27, Sherrill 2-8;
PASSING – PF, McKeown, 15-25-3-208. Spt, Garcia 7-16-1-53.
RECEIVING – PF, Shields 7-125, Bowie 6-41, Rutherford 1-12, Ostlund 1-3, Zeller 1-27. PT, Lehman 4-42, Brewster 2-7, Williams 1-4.