Parson plays a starring role — pick-six helps Lake City pull away from Post Falls

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

COEUR d'ALENE — From the one sideline, the play unfolded like a thriller movie. 

On the other, it looked like a nightmare. 

With Post Falls driving, trying to pull within one score early in the third quarter, Lake City senior Marek Parson changed the momentum with an 88-yard interception return, and the host Timberwolves went on to pull away from the Trojans 37-7 in the 6A Inland Empire League opener for both teams Friday night at Van Troxel Field. 

"It felt like a movie. It felt like every movie you ever see," Parson said of the momentum-changing play. "Where that one guy just grabs it, and takes it all the way. I feel like that was the dagger, before the game was even over." 

Lake City (5-2) overcame a sluggish start and a pesky Post Falls (0-7) squad, which forced a three-and-out after the opening kickoff, then drove to the first score, a 6-yard run by junior quarterback Griffin Carpenter. The TD was set up by a 38-yard completion from Carpenter to Cody Matthews. 

Lake City came up empty on its first three drives, then got on the board with Dayne Powers' 30-yard field goal with 4:44 left in the half. 

Lake City got the ball back, and sophomore quarterback Jax Pearson connected with junior Landon Leveque on a 32-yard catch and run to the Post Falls 18. 

On the next play, Leveque got behind the Trojan secondary and hauled in a TD pass in the back of the end zone with 1:08 left in the half. 

The T-Wolves led 10-7 at intermission, and Parson addressed his teammates at halftime. 

"I was upset with the boys a little bit; we weren't fully locked into the moment," Parson said. "During halftime I really had to give them some words of encouragement to get that fire under them." 

Powers, a junior defensive back, intercepted a pass near midfield on the second play of the third quarter. That led to Brayden Van Leuven's 2-yard run for a 17-7 lead. 

Van Leuven finished with 172 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. 

But Post Falls drove right back. Carpenter hit Kyson Ostlund for 14 yards, then scrambled 22 yards to the Lake City 10. A face mask on the T-Wolves moved it to the 5. 

On the next play, Carpenter was chased out of the pocket, and escaped one tackle. Junior Breckin Jolley was next to grab Carpenter, who tried to toss the ball to his running back — except Parson swooped in for the pick and dashed the length of the field for the game-changing touchdown. 

"It felt like an eternity," Parson said of the long pick-six. "It felt like a mile. It felt so long." 

"That is a huge, huge play in the game," Lake City coach Byron Hout said. "Because they're going down to score, to make it a one-score game, but we get that pick-six that sealed the game, almost. What a play by Parson; he's been having a heckuva season, and just so happy for him on senior night to make such a special play." 

"Certainly, seven for us rather than seven for them, that's a 14-point swing. Hard to come back from something like that," Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett.  

Ostlund intercepted a Lake City pass near midfield and returned it to the T-Wolf 35. But a sack by Parson forced a three-and-out by the Trojans. 

Van Leuven and junior Landon Capaul ran for fourth-quarter touchdowns for Lake City. 

"They weren't just going to come in here and lay down," Hout said. "Post Falls is a good football team; we've seen it on film. Throughout the season, they make plays. They haven't had the success, but they have playmakers. Our guys were a little shocked out the gate; once they settled in and calmed down a little bit, went out and got some defensive stops, then the offense got rolling." 

Despite coming in winless, a win would have put Post Falls in position to capture a state playoff berth. Two of the three teams in the 6A IEL automatically qualify. 

"The way it's designed, this was a big game," Bennett said. "I liked how we practiced all week. We had some kids step up and go both ways in this game. A lot of good leadership. We came out and were up 7-0, and were playing the game we wanted to play ... we knew we had to have a good third quarter, but it didn't go our way." 

Lake City’s five wins are its most since the 2014 season, when the T-Wolves finished 9-2.

Next Friday, Lake City plays at Coeur d'Alene (7-0), with a chance to win the league title. Post Falls is scheduled to travel to Timberline of Boise.

Post Falls     7    0    0    0    —    7 

Lake City     0    10    13    14    —    37 

First quarter 

PF — Griffin Carpenter 6 run (Bradyn Singleton kick), 7:23 

Second quarter  

LC — FG Dayne Powers 30, 4:44 

LC — Landon Leveque 18 pass from Jax Pearson (Powers kick), 1:08 

Third quarter 

LC — Brayden Van Leuven 2 run (Powers kick), 8:00 

LC — Marek Parson 88 interception return (kick failed), 4:40 

Fourth quarter 

LC — Van Leuven 1 run (Powers kick), 6:13 

LC — Landon Capaul 5 run (Powers kick), 1:20 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — PF, Tomlinson 8-33, Carpenter 5-31, Foreman 6-16, Harvey 1-3, Schmitt 7-(minus 2). LC, Van Leuven 28-172, Capaul 4-24, Pearson 4-7. 

PASSING — PF, Carpenter 3-8-1-54, Tomlinson 0-1-1-0, Schmitt 2-9-0-38. LC, Pearson 10-20-1-118. 

RECEIVING — PF, Matthews 1-38, Tomlinson 1-2, Ostlund 2-19, Diaz 1-33. LC, Leveque 7-74, Keogh 1-20, Salsbury 2-19 

    MARK NELKE/Press Lake City junior Landon Leveque (14) celebrates after an 18-yard touchdown reception late in the first half against Post Falls on Friday at Van Troxel Field in Coeur d'Alene.