Bears hammer Bulldogs to spoil Homecoming

SANDPOINT — The first league game of the season provided a clean slate and a fresh start, but the Bulldogs’ 45-21 loss to Moscow during Homecoming on Friday night at Barlow Stadium had an eerily familiar feel to it.

The Bulldogs (1-6) kept things close and were in the game midway through the third quarter, but a couple of missed opportunities and key turnovers proved their undoing, as things spiraled out of control in another one-sided loss.

Moscow (2-5) racked up 518 yards of offense and scored 31 unanswered points during one stretch, dispatching the Bulldogs to grab an early leg up in the 4A North playoff race.

“They have a lot of playmakers, and we were having a hard time stopping their guys,” said Bulldogs head coach Satini Puailoa of the Bears, who lost by just one point to Lewiston last week. “We had to play really well and error-free, and we didn’t do that. Then we got behind and had to press, and it got away from us.”

The two teams were scoreless after the first quarter, before Moscow took a 7-0 lead on a three-yard catch by 6-4 tight end Nathaniel Baker.

Sandpoint answered on the ensuing drive when Dean Knaggs took a sweep left and broke a couple of tackles before rumbling 50 yards to tie the game at 7-7.

After Moscow went up 14-7, Sandpoint senior slot receiver Tommy Fury caught a slip screen from Nick Prindiville, slicing and dicing past a couple of would-be tacklers for a 47 yard score, tying the game up at 14-14, before Moscow went up 21-14 heading into the half. Fury finished the night with 71 yards on five catches, bringing another weapon into the attack after returning from injury.

Moscow scored on the first possession of the second half to take a 28-14 lead. Perhaps the biggest momentum swing of the game came when Chase Rodriguez couldn’t haul in a touchdown pass that would have cut the lead to seven, then two plays later Moscow intercepted a ball in the end zone and returned it out to midfield, finishing the drive to go up 35-14.

The Bears rang up 27 first downs to Sandpoint’s 10, moving the chains at will and finishing drives.

“The defense struggled tonight, and we turned the ball over,” said Puailoa, lamenting three interceptions and a fumble. “The kids kept battling, and eventually it will flip flop our way. Anything can still happen as long as we keep plugging away.”

Moscow converted another interception and short field into points in the fourth quarter, taking a 42-14 lead to put the game away.

Sandpoint sophomore corner Tyler Harris, who had several nice plays in the game, ended the night on a high note, scooping up a fumble and racing 75 yards for the final touchdown of the game.

Sandpoint hosts Clarkston next Friday.

SHS — 0    14    0    7 — 21

Mos — 0    21    14    14 — 45

Mos — Nathaniel Baker 3 yd pass from Kyle Snyder (Kellen Martin Kick)

SHS — Dean Knaggs 50 run (Quinn Pearlstein kick)

Mos — Hunter Redinger 1 run (Kellen Martin Kick)

SHS — Tommy Fury 47 pass from Prindiville (Quinn Pearlstein kick)

Mos — Kyle Snyder 2  (Kellen Martin Kick)

Mos — Sean Kiblin 5 run (Kellen Martin Kick)

Mos — Sean Kiblin 13 run (Kellen Martin Kick)

Mos — Hunter Redinger 12 run (Kellen Martin Kick)

Mos — 21 yd Field Goal

SHS — Tyler Harris 75 Fumble Recovery (Quinn Pearlstein kick)

Team Stats        SHS        Mos

First Downs        10        27

Rushes-yds        32-176    43-290

Passing yds        79        228

QB                7-17-3    16-21-0

Punts-Ave        2-41.5    0-0

Fumbles-Lost        1-1        2-2

Penalties-Yds        3-25        8-55

SHS Rushing: Devin Hancock 1-4, Dean Knaggs 11-60, Cody Millard11-66, Nick Prindiville 6-30, Quinn Pearlstein 3-16  SHS: Receiving Tommy Fury 5-71, Thomas Edwards 1-3, Chase Rodriguez 1-5