STATE 5A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Defending their nest .... Lakeland notches first home playoff win since 2007 with 42-14 win over Shelley

By JASON ELLIOTT 

Sports writer 

RATHDRUM — The challenge was laid out last Monday. 

Defend home field. 

Lakeland accepted it and will live to play another day. 

The third-seeded Hawks, who capitalized on three first-half turnovers by visiting Shelley, ran past the 14th-seeded Russets 42-14 in the first round of the state 5A football playoffs on Friday at Corbit Field. 

“We did a great job and the boys prepared for this all week,” Lakeland coach Mike Schroeder said. “They knew what was ahead of them. They put in a lot of work and they met the challege.” 

It was the first home playoff win for Lakeland since beating Kuna 20-10 in the state 4A playoffs on Nov. 2, 2007. 

Lakeland (8-2) will host sixth-seeed Vallivue (7-2) of Caldwell next week. Vallivue beat Bonneville 28-6 in their opener on Friday.

Shelley finishes 3-7.

“It feels good,” said Lakeland junior quarterback Haydon Benson, who was seven months old the last time Lakeland won a home playoff game. “It feels amazing our group could bring this to our fans. It really meant something to our team.” 

Benson broke his right foot in the opener last season against Preston and missed the remainder of the season. 

“It means a lot to be back,” Benson said. “I really missed being out there last year and love this group.” 

Lakeland jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Benson to Terry Davis. Lakeland took advantage of a muffed punt and a fumble on the 1-yard line to take a 22-0 lead. Junior Cash Lund recovered the fumble and rolled untouched into the end zone with 47 seconds remaining in the half. 

“I just knew that the ball was on the ground and had to get a jump on it,” Lund said. “I just ended up in the end zone.” 

“Cash is around the ball a lot, so it makes sense he’d get on it,” Schroeder said. “Our defense has been playing good football the past few weeks. Offensively, we’ve been doing well, but defensively, I think we’ve overachieved and done some good things.” 

Lakeland forced four turnovers, compared to none for Shelley, and led 22-0 at the half.

“The game was pretty even in the first half, but the turnovers really gave us the advantage in the game,” Schroeder said. “It could have easily been 6-0, but it gave us the momentum going into the second half.” 

Benson scored again on a 13-yard option run to give Lakeland a 28-0 lead. 

Lakeland senior Lovie Weil ran for 119 yards, and Benson ran for 42 yards. 

“I think they expected the run,” Benson said. “It was hard conditions for both our team and their team. I think we wanted to show them we’re the better team and that we could pass and run the ball.” 

Lakeland put the game away on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Benson to Lund with 11:22 remaining. 

“It was a long third or fourth down,” Benson said. “It’s an option play for him and he either goes deep or I throw a quick ball to him. He was very aware of where he was at.” 

“It was a big moment,” Lund said. “I just saw him go inside and once I felt it on my hands, I just wanted to keep it there and get in.” 

“Cash is one of our most aggressive kids,” Schroeder said. “He’s not one of our bigger kids, but he shows up in big moments and big games too. Sometimes on defense, he’s going to have 8 to 13 tackles. He’s worked really hard to get here.” 

“Honestly, we just had too many mistakes,” Shelley coach Jayson Bird said. “That final score doesn’t reflect the quality of this team. We gave them four touchdowns. Lakeland’s a good team and made less mistakes and capitalized on our mistakes.” 

Shelley        0    0    7    7    —    14 

Lakeland    6    16    6    14    —    42 

First quarter 

LL — Terry Davis 5 pass from Haydon Benson (kick failed), 6:26 

Second quarter 

LL — Benson 1 run (Lovie Weil run), 3:14 

LL — Cash Lund 1 fumble return (Weil pass from Benson), :44 

Third quarter 

LL — Benson 13 run (kick failed), 6:01 

Shell — Kael Remington 21 pass from Alex Beck (Gabe Hudman kick), 3:55 

Fourth quarter 

LL — Lund 18 pass from Benson (Peyton Hillman kick), 11:22 

LL — Peyton Sardinha 1 run (Peyton Hillman kick), 10:47 

Shell — Chase Ricks 5 pass from Beck (Hudman kick), 1:47 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — Shell, Ricks 18-60, Perkovich 2-(-2), Bennett 2-8, Esplin 2-0, McBride 1-0. LL, Taylor 1-4, Benson 8-42, Weil 24-119, Sardinha 9-31. 

PASSING — Shell, Beck, 8-20-2-77, LL, Benson, 8-12-0-66. 

RECEIVING — Shell, Ricks 3-28, Remington 3-37, Esplin 1-11. LL, Taylor 5-26, Davis 1-5, Lund 2-35 

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Lakeland junior quarterback Haydon Benson attempts to get to the corner to turn upfield during the third quarter of Friday's state 5A football playoffs against Shelley at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.