Bulldogs lose first game of season to opportunistic Vikings
SANDPOINT — By both head coaches account, two very good football teams waged battle Friday night under the lights of Barlow Stadium, with Coeur d’Alene senior quarterback Ryan Dunton diving over the pile with 1:30 left in the game for the decisive touchdown to lead the Vikings to a 17-10 win over the Bulldogs.
The two teams came into the contest undefeated and went toe-to-toe for most of the game, with Coeur d’Alene (3-0) capitalizing on three Sandpoint turnovers to win its second consecutive game late in the fourth quarter.
“Our kids are finishers, with a lot of character,” said Vikings head coach Shawn Amos, whose team beat Moses Lake last week in a similar fashion. “Sandpoint is a great football team and it’s tough to play up here. Two fourth quarter wins against two good football teams says a lot.”
Junior running back Zach Keiser led the Vikings with 102 yards rushing and 64 yards receiving, and Dunton passed for 190 yards, but it was a stingy and ball-hawking defense that ultimately was the difference.
Defensive back Jake Matheson sealed the win when he intercepted a Daniel Charvoz pass with under a minute left as the Bulldogs (3-1) were driving for the potential tying score, wrestling the ball away from receiver Mike Hubbard as the two fought for possession for a good five seconds.
“It was pretty lucky,” said Matheson of the game-sealing pick. “He (Hubbard) slowed down and I stuck my hand out. That’s my ball, I’m not giving it up.”
Down 3-0 after a low scoring first half, Sandpoint put its best drive of the game together on the opening possession of the second half, as Ben Fisher carried five times for 60 yards on the six play drive, scoring from 20 yards out to give the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead.
The Vikings answered on the ensuing drive when Zach Keiser turned a short screen pass into a 58 yard gain, setting up Colin Comack’s eight yard touchdown catch to put his team up 10-7.
Sandpoint would put its best drive together in the fourth quarter, converting two fourth down plays on a grinding 13 play drive, which ended with a 39 yard field goal by Daniel Anderson to tie the game at 10-10. Running back Cody Hecker, who carried 26 times for a bruising 96 yards, hurt his calf on the drive and never returned.
After Dunton’s one-yard keeper gave the Vikings a 17-10 lead on the ensuing drive, Sandpoint drove to the 50, before Matheson’s interception spelled the end for the Bulldogs.
“Our defense played really well. They’re a good offensive team, we just gave up some big plays that got us in trouble,” said Sandpoint coach Mike Mitchell, adding that it’s tough to win against a good team when you turn the ball over three times. “I don’t think it was a lack of effort, we just lost a good game to a good team. I thought we had a chance to win it right up until the end.”
Sandpoint is at Post Falls next week in another tough game against a 5A opponent.
SHS 0 0 7 3 — 10
CDA 0 3 7 7 — 17
CDA — Connor Williams 38 yd Field Goal
SHS — Ben Fisher 20 yd run (Anderson kick)
CDA — Colin Comack 8 yd pass from Ryan Dunton (Conner Williams kick)
SHS — Daniel Anderson 39 yd Field Goal
CDA — Ryan Dunton 1 yd run (Connor Williams kick)
Team Stats SHS CDA
First Downs 13 10
Rushes-yards 40-213 26-95
Passing Yards 40 190
Passes 4-14-3 11-24-1
Punts-Ave 3-41 3-29.6
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 8-80 10-65
Individual Stats: Rushing: SHS Cody Hecker 20-96, Ben Fisher 13-100, Daniel Charvoz 4-0, Luther Morgan 1-12, Joel Cramer 1-3, Anthony Gold 1-2. CDA Zach Kaiser 19-102, Ryan Dunton 7-(-7)
Passing: Daniel Charvoz 4-13-3, 40. Ben Fisher 0-1-0,0. Ryan Dunton 11-24-1, 190 yds.
Receiving: SHS A.J. Smith 2-9, Ben Fisher 1-24, Mike Hubbard 1-7. CDA Matt Lambert 1-28, Jake Matheson 1-47, Zach Kaiser 3-64, Cade Mendoza 4-36, Colin Comack 1-8.
KO Returns: SHS Anthony Gold 1-23, Mike Hubbard 1-27.
Punt Returns: Cade Mendoza 1-7.