STATE 1A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS: Undefeated Coeur du Christ advances to semis

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — It was a big one.

Not quite how the Coeur du Christ coaching staff drew it up, but it worked out well.

Junior Grant Clemens scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 57-yard draw play on fourth down as the fourth-seeded Saints beat the fifth-seeded Council Lumberjacks 22-16 in the state 1A quarterfinals at Van Troxel Field at Lake City High on Saturday.

“My center (Sean O’Neill) made a key block there,” Grant Clemens said. “I started running and nobody was there. So I just kept running.”

“That was a big play for us certainly,” Coeur du Christ coach Kellen Clemens said. “I was just hoping to get a first down. But the line blocked it well and Grant is one of those guys that has gotten stronger, faster and to see some of that come to fruition, that was a big one.”

Junior Beckett Beyer sealed the win with an interception in the endzone with 14 seconds remaining.

“It was a big moment for sure,” Beyer said. “This win feels amazing. These boys have put in so much work over the offseason. The past three years, it’s been incredible.”

Coeur du Christ (10-0) will face Kendrick (10-0) on Friday at the P1FCU Sports Complex at Lewiston High at 7 p.m. in the semifinals. Kendrick beat Deary 80-16 on Friday to advance. The Tigers have won a state title in five straight seasons.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Beyer said. “We’re going to go out there and try our best.”

The Saints are in their third year as a program, picking up their first postseason win after qualifying for state last year for the first time.

“There’s been a lot of work,” third-year Coeur du Christ coach Kellen Clemens said. “It’s been physical work, getting their bodies stronger, faster and more agile. And there’s been a lot of mental work. We have guys that have all kinds of levels of exposure to the game when they come in. Some of them have been around them, watched it and seen it. And some of them haven’t. There’s also a mental part of learning each position, but they’ve worked hard.”

Beckett also had an interception in the third quarter to stop another Council scoring drive and keep the Lumberjacks off the scoreboard in the second half.

“It was bend, but don’t break,” Kellen Clemens said. “We gave up some yards for sure, but those are a bunch of farm boys coming up from Council. It was ground and pound and they did a good job. I was proud of the way the defense stepped up when we needed it.”

Grant Clemens threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 78 yards for Coeur du Christ.

“He’s really good,” Council coach JC Tucker said. “He’s right up there with Kendrick’s Maddox Kirkland as the best we’ve seen this season. For an 8-man level, you don’t really get those kinds of quarterbacks.”

Council quarterback Jim Tucker ran for 121 yards, including a 6-yard score to tie the game in the first quarter.

“I think they just stiffened up and got some stops on fourth down,” Tucker said. “They were able to come up with some key stops.”

Council ran for 241 yards in the game.

“We had to run the ball to keep their offense off the field,” Tucker said. “You’ve got to be successful on those fourth down and get those first downs. And we didn’t today.”

Council        8    8    0    0    —    16

Coeur du Christ    8    8    6    0    —    22

First quarter

Coeur — Matthew Junkin 16 pass from Grant Clemens (Liam Anderson run), 6:46.

Coun — Jim Tucker 6 run (Tucker Armichardy run), 2:30.

Second quarter

Coeur — Junkin 18 pass from Clemens (Beckett Beyer pass from Clemens), 2:33.

Coun — Armichardy 3 run (Brody Davis run), :14.

Third quarter

Coeur — Clemens 57 run (pass failed), 9:49.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Coun, Davis 14-90, Tucker 22-121, Armichardy 10-37, Conaway 1-3. Coeur, Junkin 1-2, Anderson 6-26, Clemens 8-78.

PASSING — Coun, Tucker, 4-9-2-84. Coeur, Clemens 13-21-0-119.

RECEIVING — Coun, Bauer 1-43, Davis 1-33, Conaway 2-8. Coeur, Denke 1-3, Junkin 4-42, Beyer 6-62, Anderson 1-1, Zember 1-12.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur du Christ junior wide receiver Beckett Beyer attempts to bring in a pass as Council's Brody Davis defends during the first half of a state 1A quarterfinal game at Van Troxel Field on Saturday.