PREP FOOTBALL: Turnovers, with a Cherry on top .... Lake City, with three interceptions, late TD scramble fights off Wenatchee for first win

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — The play was designed to get a few yards and keep the ball in the hands of the Lake City offense.

Instead, it wound up leading to a Cherry on top.

Leading 20-14 and facing a fourth down and 1 on the 50-yard line, Lake City went for it.

And senior quarter Avrey Cherry brought it home.

Cherry bounced down the left sideline 50 yards for the clinching score as the Timberwolves fought off the Wenatchee Panthers 26-14 in a nonleague football game at Van Troxel Field on Friday.

“It was a great team win,” said Cherry, who finished with 72 yards rushing and two touchdowns. “It was supposed to be a QB sneak, and it kind of got stuffed. So I bounced it out and made something happen. We had good blocking at the line and down the field. It really helped a lot.”

“That’s designed to get 1 yard, and anything after that’s a bonus,” Lake City coach Byron Hout said. “And that was a really good bonus.”

Lake City (1-1) lost its opener at home to Lakeland on Aug. 30.

“We had a tough one last week,” Cherry said. "But we came together as a team and played really well. I’m proud of the guys. We really took a step forward tonight.”

Cherry also threw two touchdown passes to Jacob Hill for Lake City, which finished with 245 yards rushing.

“That was part of the game plan this week was to have Avrey run the ball a little more,” Hout said. “And he ran the ball really well.”

Defensively, Braden Meredith, Michael Martindale and Jacob Bell had interceptions and Cade Fledderman a fumble recovery late in the fourth to seal the win.

“I’m really proud of those guys,” Cherry said. “I love getting the ball in their end and it’s easier for the offense to do its job. Our defense played great and we just really put it together tonight.”

Wenatchee, in its season opener, took the opening drive to the Lake City 25-yard line before an interception by Meredith stalled that drive. Martindale’s interception in the third quarter ended another Wenatchee scoring drive and Bell intercepted a lob in the fourth quarter.

“Anytime we can have more offensive possessions, we’re going to be successful,” Hout said. “Hats off to the defense for giving us those possessions. I thought they played well with eyes on the quarterback, and read those zones really well. When they wanted to go man, they locked them up and played really well.”

Wenatchee quarterback Ryan Branam hit Anthony Garcia on a 50-yard touchdown pass with 7:49 remaining to stay in the hunt in the fourth.

Lake City hosts Highland of Pocatello next Saturday at 11 a.m.

Wenatchee    0    0    7    7    —    14

Lake City    0    6    6    14    —    26

Second quarter

LC — Jacob Hill 18 pass from Avrey Cherry (kick failed), 41.3

Third quarter 

Wen — Finn Mathison 1 run (Andrew Nungaray kick), 8:34

LC — Cherry 1 run (pass failed), 1:26

Fourth quarter

LC — Hill 6 pass from Cherry (Cherry run), 8:35

Wen — Anthony Garcia 50 pass from Ryan Branam (Nungaray kick), 7:49

LC — Cherry 50 run (kick failed), 4:30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Wen, Mathison 17-50, Branan 2-3. LC, Wullenwaber 15-94, Cherry 9-72, Johnson 10-57, Van Leuven 2-22.

PASSING — Wen, Branam, 14-27-161. LC, Cherry, 7-14-0-40, Ruggiero 1-1-0-11.

RECEIVING — Wen, Cook 7-51, Garcia 3-59, Diaz 3-41, Butler 1-15. LC, Tony 2-14, Wullenwaber 1-8, Hill 3-24, Grant 1-11. 

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Lake City senior quarterback Avrey Cherry fights out of the grasp of Wenatchee linebacker Ezekiel Tapia during the second quarter of Friday's game at Van Troxel Field.