Big plays help No. 1 Broncos top Bulldogs
BLACKFOOT — There were a lot of positives for Sandpoint in a 4A quarterfinal road playoff football game on Friday night against the No. 1 ranked Blackfoot Broncos.
The Bulldogs had 19 first downs while holding the Broncos to just 12, gained 364 yards of offense to the Broncos’ 387 total yards, and trailed by just one point with eight minutes left in the game.
But the Broncos (9-0) parlayed three huge, momentum-swinging plays into a 42-27 win, as the Bulldogs (6-5) ended a solid season with a tough loss at chilly Blackfoot High School.
The Broncos, who hadn’t let a team score more than 21 points prior to Friday’s win, had trouble slowing down the Bulldogs’ rushing attack, which ground out 282 yards and moved the chains consistently. But Matt Peterson had a 45 yard interception return for a score and hauled in a 68 yard scoring strike from quarterback Payson Hayes, and Chase Cosby returned an interception for a 70 yard pick six, and the three big plays ultimately proved the difference.
After the first of Hayes’s four touchdown passes gave the Broncos an early lead, Sandpoint’s Tyler Presser, who had 31 yards on six carries, capped a 75 yard drive with a four yard plunge to even the score at 7-7.
Sandpoint opened the second quarter with another strong scoring drive, keyed by a 32 yard scamper from quarterback Nate Loutzenhiser and two fourth down conversions. Kyle Perry, who played with a slight limp and was held to 69 yards on 19 carries, well below his average, caught a six yard pass from Loutzenhiser to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead.
Peterson’s long scoring strike would even the game at 14-14 heading into half time.
After Sandpoint punter Davan Norris pinned the Broncos inside the 10 yard line, the first of his two great punts on the night, Blackfoot would finish a 90 plus yard drive to take a 21-14 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Loutzenhiser, who finished 6-21 on the night for 82 yards, had one of his five interceptions returned for a score and a 28-14 Broncos lead. Loutzenhiser also finished with 47 yards rushing on six carries.
The Bulldogs proved resilient, undaunted by the two score deficit. Norris had a punt roll out at the one yard line, and after the ensuing Broncos punt, the Bulldogs capitalized on a short field when Tyler Harris scored on a 25 yard catch in the end zone to cut the lead to 28-21. Harris led the Bulldogs with 90 yards rushing on 14 carries, to go with the scoring grab.
Seizing the momentum, Bulldog defensive tackle Carlos Collado made arguably the biggest defensive play of the season on the next drive, scooping up a Blackfoot fumble and rambling 51 yards down the sideline for a score. Michael Plaster had the extra point blocked, and with eight minutes left in the back and forth affair, the Bulldogs trailed 28-27.
Blackfoot, which only committed one turnover on the night and was balanced offensively with 197 yards rushing and 190 passing, answered less than a minute later with a 56 yard scoring strike to take an eight point lead. They would later miss a field goal, giving the Bulldogs the ball at their own 12, trailing by eight points with 2:30 left in the game.
The Bulldogs were able to move the ball down to the Broncos’ 31 yard line with one minute left, when Cosby intercepted a Loutzenhiser pass and raced 70 yards to paydirt, essentially ending the game.
Wyatt McCromick led the Bulldogs with 29 receiving yards, and Matthew Timothy added 24 in defeat.
Sandpoint 7 7 0 13 — 27
Blackfoot 7 7 14 14 — 42
Blk — Josiah Hoskins 21 catch from Payson Hayes (Matt Peterson kick)
Spt — Tyler Presser 4 run (Michael Plaster kick)
Spt — Kyle Perry 7 catch from Nate Loutzenhiser (Plaster kick)
Blk — Peterson 68 catch from Hayes (Peterson kick)
Blk — Taylor Pearson 17 catch from Hayes (Peterson kick)
Blk — Peterson 45 interception return (Peterson kick)
Spt — Tyler Harris 25 catch from Loutzenhiser (Plaster kick)
Spt — Carlos Collado 51 fumble return (kick blocked)
Blk — Pearson 56 catch from Hayes (Peterson kick)
Blk — Chase Cosby 70 interception return (Peterson kick)