Bulldogs drop 23-20 thriller to Post Falls

POST FALLS — Another thriller between 4A Sandpoint and a 5A squad, another last-minute victory for the bigger school.

Matt Lickfold capped a wild second half by throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Colbert with 51 seconds left in the game, lifting the Post Falls Trojans to a 23-20 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday night at Trojan Stadium.

Sandpoint had a chance to tie it on the final play of the game. Adam Crossingham’s 43-yard field goal attempt was plenty long, but just wide to the right as the Post Falls players celebrated amidst fireworks on their homecoming.

“Great high school football game,” Sandpoint coach Mike Mitchell said. “The second half, I thought our kids played well. We let them off the hook.”

Sandpoint took a 20-16 lead with 2:59 to play when running back Ben Fisher swept left for 11 yards and a touchdown. Fisher finished with 80 rushing yards on 13 carries. He also threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dillon Gingerich with 3:57 left in the third quarter to pull Sandpoint within 9-7.

Lickfold fumbled on the first play after the kickoff, and Sandpoint’s A.J. Smith recovered at the Post Falls 10. Three plays later, on a play designed up the middle, Cody Hecker veered outside around the right end for 10 yards and a touchdown. However, he twisted his right ankle on the play, and didn’t return.

Post Falls overcame three holding penalties on a 55-yard, 10-play drive which culminated on Lickfold’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Cody Clark on a slant from the left with 9:34 left in the fourth, putting the Trojans up 16-13.

Sandpoint turned the ball over twice inside the 5 in the first half, which ended with Post Falls up 2-0.

Sandpoint (3-2) travels to Lewiston on Friday.

Sandpoint   0    0    13    7 — 20

Post Falls   2     0     7   14 — 23

PF — Safety punt snapped out of end zone

PF — Colbert 2 run (Benner kick)

Spt — Gingerich 37 pass from Fisher (Crossingham kick)

Spt — Hecker 10 run (run failed)

PF — Clark 14 pass from Lickfold (Benner kick)

Spt — Fisher 11 run (Crossingham kick)

PF — Colbert 15 pass from Lickfold (Benner kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Spt, Hecker 8-28, Fisher 13-80, Charvoz 6-(minus 3), Morgan 1-1. PF, Colbert 11-60, Wood 7-27, Lickfold 14-58, Pastras 2-(minus 10).

PASSING — Spt, Charvoz 14-22-1-205, Fisher 1-1-0-37. PF, Lickfold 13-19-0-172.

RECEIVING — Spt, Hecker 1-62, Fisher 2-38, Smith 3-37, Hubbard 7-59, Dye 1-9, Gingerich 1-37. PF, Clark 3-36, Pastras 3-18, Colbert 5-67, Cragin 2-51.