Bulldogs give new head coach Yarno first win
—Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Sandpoint senior Brock Browning and the Bulldog defensive line has been a real bright spot so far this season.
—Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Taran McLaughlin hauls in one of his three catches on the night, tallying 80 yards. The 6-6 target continues to emerge in the passing game.
SPOKANE — A sizzling start, a big missed extra point and a clutch finish proved just enough, as the Sandpoint Bulldogs earned head coach George Yarno his first win as a high school head coach, edging Greater Spokane League foe Mt. Spokane 28-27 on Friday night at Joe Albi Stadium.
The Bulldogs (1-2) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, while the defense got quick three-and-outs, building a quick 21-0 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter. Momentum would swing, but in the end Sandpoint found a way to get its first victory.
Yarno, whose father George Yarno Sr. passes away right at the start of the season, was happy to get his first win at a stadium he knows well having grown up in Spokane. The win meant a lot, especially considering where it happened and how recently his dad died.
“It’s huge to do it in this venue. I told the team before the game, when I was a little boy I’d come to this stadium with my dad,” said Yarno, whose father was a 10 year NFL offensive lineman and pro and college coach. “To get my first win here is a big deal.”
Sandpoint drew first blood when Robbie Johnson hooked up with Julian Barajas for a nine yard touchdown. Johnson, who finished the game 11-22 for 141 yards, tossed a second touchdown pass for 20 yards to Spencer Bassett, as the Bulldogs finally got off to a fast start.
After another defensive stop, workhorse back Levi Irish capped a third straight scoring drive with a one yard touchdown, and a quick 21-0 lead. Irish finished with 99 yards on 27 carries, Walker Jacobson added 52 hard yards on seven totes and Johnson rushed for 37 yards to keep the chains moving.
“We ran the ball really well today,” said Yarno, praising the play of his linebackers on defense. “Walker always does well, but Garrett Marks had the game of his life, flying around and hitting people. He’s a very disciplined player.”
Mt. Spokane (0-2) finally scored late in the first quarter, then twice more in the second to send the game into halftime at 21-21.
The game seemed to swing early in the third quarter, when Caleb Countryman, who was easily the Wildcats’ best player on the night, jumped an out route and returned the Johnson interception 50 yards for a touchdown. While that play was huge, the next one might have been even bigger, when the Mt. Spokane kicker missed an extra point for a 27-21 lead.
After some halftime adjustments, the Bulldogs’ defense didn’t give up anything in a strong second half, helped by big plays from Nick Holland and Payton Cox and more strong play along the defensive line, as the Wildcats managed just 153 yards rushing.
“The defense played lights out,” said Yarno. “They shut them out in the second half.”
Trailing by six, the Bulldogs put a solid drive together early in the fourth quarter, with a big catch from McLaughlin and a strong gain from Jacobson. McLaughlin finished with 80 yards on the three catches, and Bassett added 33 yards on three catches.
Irish punched in the winning touchdown from three yards out, and Sawyer Seley, like he did on the previous three, split the uprights for the go-ahead extra point. Jacobson added a big punt with three minutes left in the game, pinning the Wildcats back on their own eight, before a quick drive finally stalled out. Johnson then converted a big third down run with just over a minute left, before taking a couple of knees in the victory formation.
The win is important for a team with a lot of players still adjusting to the varsity game.
“It gives us momentum. We finally got over that hump,” said Yarno of the win. “Coming away with a win gives us confidence moving forward.”
Sandpoint hosts Bonners Ferry on Friday in the final game in front of the old bleachers at Barlow Stadium.
SHS 21 0 0 7 — 28
MtS 7 14 6 0 — 27
Spt — Julian Barajas 9 catch from Robbie Johnson (Sawyer Seley kick)
Spt — Spencer Bassett 20 catch from Johnson (Seley kick)
Spt — Levi Irish 1 run (Seley kick)
MtS — Caleb Countryman 20 catch from Brady Hill (kick good).
MtS — Countryman 5 run (kick good)
MtS — Moore 5 run (kick good)
MtS — Countryman 50 interception return (kick failed)
Spt — Irish 3 run (Seley kick)