SHS scores 21 unanswered points to stave off Russets, punch ticket to state semis

SANDPOINT — The Bulldogs are one win away from a berth to the 4A state championship and a trip to the Kibbie Dome.

Top-seeded Sandpoint scored 21 unanswered points to down No. 8 seed Shelley 21-14 in the 4A state quarterfinals on Friday night at War Memorial Field.

The Bulldogs fell behind 14-0 early in the second quarter, but they never blinked.

"There was no surrender at 14-0," head coach Ryan Knowles said, "and that doesn't surprise me, it really doesn't."

Sandpoint scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and the defense pitched a shutout in the second half to set up a semifinal showdown with No. 5 seed Blackfoot next week at War Memorial Field.

That deficit was the Bulldogs' first since they trailed Lewiston by 14 points on Sept. 24. They came back to win that game in overtime and they showed that same resiliency against the Russets.

Knowles said his team started preparing for moments like this back in December and that's why they never wavered.

"When we're down, I know I can look the boys in the eyes because all offseason they were putting chips in a mason jar," he said, "... and all I got to really say is, 'Hey, I know you got more chips in the jar than the opponent because this team has worked hard.'"

The Sandpoint defense stuffed the Russets in the second half, forcing two turnovers and a trio of three-and-outs. They held Shelley to just one first down in the final 24 minutes of action.

Linebackers Wes Benefield, Joseph Hughes and Owen Wimmer, and defensive linemen Levi Balison, Ryan McElroy and Wylan Dorrel stepped up and took control of the battle in the trenches.

Knowles said his defense dug down deep and played with a lot of guts.

"We made a few adjustments, but the boys made the adjustments," he said. "They sucked it up and started getting off blocks and making plays ... They were strained to the brink, but they didn't break. They were tough enough for tonight."

Among the players, junior defensive back Jack Zimmerman said there was a clear message sent at halftime.

"As soon as we went into halftime, we were like, 'We got to do it for the seniors,'" he said. "I think that's what this whole season is about."

That motivation allowed the Bulldogs (7-2) to grab their sixth straight win and secure a spot in the state semis for the second straight year.

Early on, the Russets set the tone with their run game. They were determined to wear out the Sandpoint defense with their ground attack and it was working.

With 10:19 left in the second quarter, Shelley running back Caden Johnson punched it in his second of two rushing touchdowns on the night to give the Russets a 14-0 lead.

But the Bulldogs struck back in an instant. Sandpoint took over at midfield after a great kickoff return by senior Luke McCorkle and four plays later sophomore Max Frank ran into the end zone from 6 yards out on a sweep to cut the deficit in half.

On the next Shelley drive, the Russets continued to move the ball and chew up the clock, but the Sandpoint defense rose up when it mattered most. On a third and 15 from the Sandpoint 23, Shelley quarterback Brecker Williams threw a pass down the sideline and Zimmerman rose up for an amazing interception with 3:08 left in the first half.

Zimmerman said he just reacted quickly when he saw the ball in the air.

"Coaches said all week they're going to run that wheel ... and that was it," he said about the play.

Momentum seemed to shift after that and Knowles felt like that interception was the turning point in the game.

Trailing 14-7 at the half, Sandpoint came out of the locker room and tied things up on its first possession when quarterback Parker Pettit connected with junior wide receiver Cody Newhart on a 47-yard touchdown.

The Bulldogs looked to be heading for another score on their third possession of the half, but a pass from Pettit intended for Frank in the end zone was picked off by Shelley with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

However, two plays later Sandpoint got the ball right back when Zimmerman secured his second interception of the night off a pass that was deflected by Benefield. The Bulldogs took over at the Shelley 20 and three plays later Pettit snuck into the end zone from a yard out to give SHS a 21-14 lead with 45 seconds left in the third.

The teams traded turnovers in the fourth quarter and Sandpoint shut down any hopes of a Shelley comeback down the stretch.

When the Bulldogs surged ahead in the third quarter, they forced Shelley to move away from their bread and butter of grinding out yards on the ground. The Russets had to spread things to try and catch up to Sandpoint, and they found no success.

Running back Gerrit Cox finished with 96 yards on 15 carries. Pettit was 11 of 19 for 166 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. On the ground, he ran for 92 yards and a score.

Newhart caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, and Frank added five receptions for 44 yards.

Sandpoint finished with 361 total yards of offense, while Shelley only had 215.

Zimmerman said it felt great to grab a pair of picks in such a pivotal game and he can't wait for next Friday when a spot in the state championship game will be on the line.

"It feels awesome," he said. "Probably one of the best feelings in the world."

In 2020, Sandpoint lost 20-0 at Skyline in the state semis. Knowles said this team is determined to make sure that doesn't happen again.

"We got this far last year and a week of football was taken away from us last year because we didn't get it done," he said. "The battle cry this week is we are not finishing this week, we have two games as a team left together."

Shelley 7 7 0 0 — 14

Sandpoint 0 7 14 0 — 21

First quarter

Sh. — Caden Johnson 15-yard run (Junior Vega kick), 7:11.

Second quarter

Sh. — Johnson 7-yard run (Vega kick), 10:19.

Spt. — Max Frank 6-yard run (Lasse Kuhn kick), 8:51.

Third quarter

Spt. — Cody Newhart 47-yard pass from Parker Pettit (Kuhn kick), 10:03.

Spt. — Pettit 1-yard run (Kuhn kick), 0:45.

RUSHING — Sh., Clinger 15-56, Kidman 7-22, Williams 8-36, Johnson 4-22, Robinson 3-9. Spt., Cox 15-96, Pettit 15-92, Frank 2-7.

PASSING — Sh., Williams 7-14-2-70. Spt., Pettit 11-19-2-166.

RECEIVING — Sh., Johnson 2-22, Allphin 1-15, Clinger 2-21, Kidman 1-11, Robinson 1-1. Spt., VanDenBerg 2-22, Newhart 4-100, Frank 5-44.