STATE 3A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Priest River falls in first playoff game since 2012

ABERDEEN — In its first playoff appearance since 2012, Priest River, the No. 8 at-large seed, lost 42-12 to No. 1 at-large seed Aberdeen on Saturday in a 3A first-round play-in game. 

Senior Sawyer Staudt scored both touchdowns for Priest River (6-3), which posted its first winning season since 2013. 

Aberdeen (8-1) advances to a state quarterfinal game next weekend against an opponent to be determined. 

Aberdeen came into Saturday’s game allowing just 6.25 points per game, with four shutouts. 

"Aberdeen is well-coached defensively and we knew that going in," Priest River coach Alex Zepeda said. "We were hoping to score a little bit more because we know we have a good offense, but we did get more than most teams have, so that's a positive." 

With the 12 points, Priest River broke the all-time points record for a single season. The Spartans scored 288 points this year, four more than the previous record set in 2012. 

Staudt, with 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter, scored on a 4-yard rush to cap off a 47-yard drive to cut the Tiger lead to 7-6. Sophomore Nate Fegert, who also had a huge stop for a 4-yard loss on a third down and two on Aberdeen's first drive of the game, recovered a fumble with roughly four minutes remaining in the quarter to give the Spartans the field position that eventually led to the touchdown. 

In the fourth quarter, now down 35-6, junior quarterback Lucas Mathews hit Staudt for an 11-yard touchdown with 5:11 remaining. Earlier in that same drive, Mathews, who was 11 for 19 passing for 107 yards, hit freshman Layton Goins for a 41-yard strike to set up the score. 

With that touchdown, Staudt improved his total touchdown count to 24 on the season. He also broke the Priest River all-time season rushing record set by Cameron Riley in 2012 of 1,139 yards. With his 37 rushing yards Saturday, Staudt finished with 1,146 rushing yards on the season. 

Aberdeen rushed for six touchdowns and piled up 354 yards on the ground. 

Priest River was in the playoffs for the fifth time in school history.

"Just considering the step we took this year, having a JV schedule last year, and winning just two games over a five-year period the year before that, it's huge for Priest River," Zepeda said. "Of course, we're disappointed, wanting to win the whole thing, and especially today, but this was huge for our program. I'm super excited to get back to it this offseason. We're a super young team and the future is bright for us." 

Priest River 0 6 0 6 — 12 

Aberdeen 0 14 8 20 — 42 

Second quarter 

AB — Alvarez 5 run (kick good), 8:57  

PR — Staudt 4 run (conversion failed), 0:40 

AB —  Shackelford 2 run (kick good), 0:06 

Third quarter 

AB — Shackelford 2 run (Beck conversion), 9:00 

Fourth quarter 

AB — Shackelford 4 run (conversion failed), 11:20 

AB — Beck 2 run (kick good), 6:44 

PR — Staudt 11 pass from Mathews (conversion failed), 5:11 

AB — Alvarez 1 run (kick good), 3:44 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: PR — Staudt 9-37, Fegert 7-21, Goins 1-10, Kuprienko 3-6. AB — Shackelford 10-111, Beck 13-84, Ortiz 11-83, Alvarez 7-45, Foster 3-15, Jenkins 2-8, Driscoll 1-4, Serna Carillo 1-4. 

PASSING: PR — Mathews 11-19-1-107. AB — Ortiz 1-3-0-20. 

RECEIVING: PR — Goins 1-41, Staudt 5-36, S. Simcox 1-19, L. Simcox 1-6, Lamanna 2-5, Kuprienko 1-0. AB — Serna Carillo 1-20. 

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Priest River sophomore running back Colton Kuprienko stiff-arms Aberdeen's Mitchell Elliott during Saturday's state 3A playoff matchup in Aberdeen.