Sandpoint falls short in wild shootout with 5A Lewiston

SANDPOINT — Any coach will tell you there are no moral victories, and the only thing that’s going to show up on the record is a win or a loss.

But there are good losses and bad losses, and those in attendance qduring Sandpoint’s 42-39 laoss to 5A Lewiston on Friday night at Barlow Stadium saw what amounted to a good loss.

The Bulldogs (1-2) went toe-to-toe with a Bengal team many consider to be the best in North Idaho, the third straight rock-solid opponent to open the season, and continued to show flashes of greatness early in the season.

“This game hurt a lot, it’s a game we could have won. These teams are going to make us good,” said Bulldogs head coach Satini Puailoa. “There were a lot of really good things, but a lot of things we let get away that will make us sick to our stomachs. That’s how we’re going to get better.”

Lewiston, behind the strong arm of 6-foot-4, 230 pound quarterback Colton Richardson, marched the opening drive down the field with ease to take a quick 7-0 lead. Richardson finished 25-36 for 362 yards, as the Bengals (3-0) continue to run the spread offense with great success.

Like they did all night, the Bulldogs responded, when Devin LaCroix, who continues to wreak havoc on the defensive line, made a great stop on a fake punt. On the ensuing play, Davan Norris hooked up with Jake Timothy on a perfectly thrown deep post for a 52 yard score, but a failed two point conversion left the score at 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.

After the Bengals went up 14-6, Logan Magro capped a quick strike drive with an 11 yard scoring scamper, with another failed two-point conversion making the score 14-12. A poor snap on a punt attempt by Lewiston gave the Bulldogs a very short field, and Tyler Presser scored a two yard touchdown and two point conversion to put Sandpoint up 20-14. Lewiston would score once more to take a 21-20 lead into halftime.

Michael Plaster continued his excellent play, hauling in a 30 yard catch, part of his 92 receiving yards on the day, before drilling a 31 yard field goal to give his team a 23-21 lead. Plaster stepped in at receiver after Wyatt McCormick-Cox sprained his ankle in the first quarter and missed the remainder of the game.

“Very disappointing to lose Wyatt in the first quarter. We had a lot of near misses and a few breakdowns,” lamented Puailoa, lauding the play of Plaster on offense. “Mikey came in a look how many big plays he made? We’re learning how to play. We had some young kids step up.”

Lewiston would score again to retake the lead, but it was short lived, as Logan Magro, who continues to get some touches in the running game with Kyle Perry not at full strength, picked up a 30 yard run, settintg up the strangest score of the night.

With Norris forced to miss a play after a slight injury, linebacker and backup quarterback Paul Sundquist came in and promptly threw a 25 yard scoring strike to Plaster on his first throw of the season to give the Bulldogs a short-lived 31-28 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Trailing by 11 late in the game, Norris once again found Timothy for a score, this time from 28 yards out, and with a two-point conversion, the lead was cut to three. Timothy finished with 101 yards and a pair of scores through the air.

The Bulldogs managed to get the ball back with 50 seconds left, but Norris’s second pick of the game at midfield essentially ended the game.

The murder’s row schedule continues next week, when the Bulldogs host Mt. Spokane of the Greater Spokane League.

SHS 6 14 11 8 — 39

LEW 7 14 7 14 — 42

LEW Sharp Kenton 13 yd pass from Colton Richardson (Grant Lane kick)

SHS Jake Timothy 51 yd pass from Davan Norris (run fail)

LEW Jordan Chaffee 12 yd pass from Colton Richardson (Grant Lane kick)

SHS Tyler Presser 2 yd run (Presser run)

LEW Sharp Kenton 21 yd pass from Colton Richardson (Lane kick)

SHS Mike Plaster 31 yd Field Goal

LEW Mason Ulrich 4 yd pass from Colton Richardson (Lane Grant kick)

SHS Mike Plaster 26 yd pass from Paul Sundquist (Plaster run)

LEW Mason Ulrich 82 yd run (Lane Grant kick)

LEW Sharp Kempton 39 yd pass from Colton Richardson (Lane Grant kick)

SHS Jake Timothy 23 yd pass from Davan Norris (Magro run)

Individual Stats:

SHS Rushing: Logan Magro: 11-43, Davan Norris 8-5, Tyler Presser 7-22, Kyle Perry 12-46, Mike Plaster 2-13

SHS Receiving: #88: 2-10, Mike Plaster 4-92, Wyatt McCormick-Cox 1-19, Jake Timothy 4-101, Kyle Perry 2-31, Logan Magro 1-2

SHS QB: Paul Sundquist 1-1-0 23 yds. Davan Norris 13-24-2 239 yds