PREP FOOTBALL: One play away .... Post Falls stops late conversion to hold off upset-minded Lakeland

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

RATHDRUM — Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett often praises other coaches on his staff after games, close or not.

This one, was as close as you can get.

So, lining up to defend the end zone on the 3-yard line, game on the line, what’s a coach to do?

Just trust his guys.

Lakeland cut the deficit to 21-20 with 25 seconds remaining on a 25-yard touchdown pass — on fourth down — from Haydon Benson to Lovie Weil, but the 2-point conversion was stuffed at the 1-yard line and the visiting Trojans were able to run out the clock for the nonleague win at Corbit Field on Friday.

“(Post Falls defensive coordinator) Adam Shamion and the defensive staff, we got them on the sideline and we got their mind right,” Bennett said. “And nobody wants to give up a touchdown on 4th and 5, and we had a couple of guys making a play on the ball and we didn’t quite get to it. We knew they’d go for two, and for us to regroup, was great to see.”

Lakeland drove nearly 80 yards in the final three minutes after forcing a punt in the fourth quarter. Post Falls recovered an onside kick to seal the win.

“We took these guys to (Camp) Lutherhaven and we came together as a team,” Bennett said. “We’ve got these shirts that say ‘Taking Care of Business’  and that’s what we do. And what a great example. Mike (Schroeder, Lakeland head coach) and the rest of the Lakeland staff does a great job and drew up a really nice play, and scored with 25 seconds left. They did what they wanted to do and put it in. But our defense did what we had to do.”

Had Lakeland (3-2) kicked the extra point, the game would have went to overtime had Post Falls not scored in the final 25 seconds.

“Playing a team that has one-way stars, and so forth, I was in a position where I didn’t want to make the game any longer,” Schroeder said. “I just opted to go for the win.”

Post Falls (4-0) did not call a timeout after Weil’s score, instead leaning on the defense to make a stop.

“I lean on Adam,” Bennett said. “We’ve got a great relationship and I looked at him, and he said he didn’t need one, and we were ready to go.”

Post Falls forced two turnovers in the first quarter, as Shawn Hudson and Canon McKeown recovered fumbles.

“We really found a way,” Bennett said. “We didn’t play really well early on, and we’re still trying to figure out some of that stuff. But we found some stuff and you could tell with some of the things we were doing in the second half. We mixed in the run and pass and got that first score on the board.”

Post Falls, which trailed 14-7 at halftime, tied the game on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Isaac McKeown to Jace Ostlund with 59 seconds remaining in the third. Sophomore Cody Mathews gave the Trojans a 21-14 lead on a 15-yard touchdown catch with 8:28 remaining.

“That’s why we’re 4-0, you’ve got to get lucky sometimes,” Bennett said. “Isaac did a great job scrambling around and we found a guy in the corner for a touchdown. You don’t draw those kind of plays up. That’s just recess, run around and find the guy. We just stayed together. Lakeland’s a good football team and they beat Lake City early in the season and they’re a good football team. But I’m pleased with how we stayed together. Offensively, we took care of the ball.”

“It was a huge win for us,” Ostlund said. “We just wanted to get the dub. We needed that adversity to move forward. At halftime we were a little down, but we just found a way.”

Lakeland took a 14-7 lead into halftime on a 16-yard run by Cash Lund.

“We had to make some plays the entire game to stay in it, and a couple of instances, we shot ourselves in the foot,” Schroeder said. “Especially the first two drives of the game. If we would have pulled seven out of either of those drives, it’s a different game. As a coaching staff, I think we can be better and the players can play with more focus, but overall, they played with a lot of commitment and conviction.”

Post Falls travels to Glacier Peak of Snohomish, Wash., next Saturday.

Lakeland travels to Moscow on Thursday..

Post Falls    0    7    7    7    —    21

Lakeland    0    14    0    6    —    20

Second quarter

LL — Lovie Weil 2 run (Parker Sterling kick), 10:16

PF — Devin Burton 2 run (Bradyn Singleton kick), 3:37

LL — Cash Lund 16 run (Sterling kick), :44

Third quarter

PF — Jace Ostlund 8 pass from Isaac McKeown (Singleton kick), :59

Fourth quarter

PF — Cody Mathews 15 pass from McKeown (Singleton kick), 8:28

LL — Weil 25 pass from Haydon Benson (run failed), :25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PF, Burton 19-100, Felix 6-26, McKeown 1-0, McLean 1-3. LL, Taylor 1-3, Weil 21-111, Benson 6-52, Lund 1-16.

PASSING — PF, McKeown, 14-27-1-117. LL, Benson, 15-23-0-178.

RECEIVING — PF, McLean 5-48, Mathews 3-32, Ostlund 2-23, Jimmerson 2-16, Burton 2-11. LL, Hobbs 1-58, Taylor 9-102, Scott 2-6, Weil 1-25.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Lakeland junior Cash Lund scored on a 16-yard run before halftime of Friday's game with Post Falls at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Post Falls sophomore wide receiver Cody Mathews scores on a 15-yard touchdown pass to give the Trojans the lead in the fourth quarter of Friday's game at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.