PREP FOOTBALL: Clark Fork pulls off miracle to qualify for 1A state championship
The Clark Fork football team stands for the pledge of allegiance while a beautiful sunset forms in the distance before a game earlier this season.
Photo by Brittany Young
CLARK FORK — The Wampus Cats, down 20 points in the fourth quarter and with six of their starting eight players banged up, pulled off the impossible, defeating Lakeside, 44-42 in the final seconds on Friday to qualify for the 1A state championship for the second year in a row.
“I can’t really put into words how it happened,” head coach Patrick Young said. “It’s just one of those things where you could feel it — we made a couple of plays and we just knew. These kids don’t give up and have so much heart. We could just feel that we were somehow going to win this game.”
Clark Fork set the pace for what ended up being a high scoring match on Friday as Evrett Montgomery connected with Ethan Howard for a 30-yard receiving touchdown on the first play of the game. Lakeside would respond later in the first to tie the game, 8-8. In the second, Lakeside took the lead, but on the ensuing kickoff Carson Yetter took it 60 yards to the endzone, and after converting another two-point conversion, Clark Fork went up two points before halftime, 16-14.
“This game was just a physical battle with both teams running the ball heavy on both sides,” Young said. “All Lakeside does is run the ball, and so do we, but we had to start mixing things up.”
After three quarters of play, Lakeside ended up in front, 20-16 after scoring another rushing touchdown. Although down four points, things began to look dooming for Clark Fork due to mounting injuries.
“My sideline looked like a hospital,” Young said. “At one point we had six of our starting eight players on the sideline. I started playing different players at all different positions, some of which never played in those positions before.”
Lakeside quickly took advantage, scoring twice early in the fourth quarter, making the score 36-16 with 8:49 left, Knights in front. The Wampus Cats were able to respond with a touchdown drive after a bad kickoff, and then with another touchdown later in the quarter, but Lakeside marched down the field and scored again. With less than five minutes on the clock, Clark Fork saw their season coming to an end with the score being 42-30 … until they didn’t.
“I went out there on the field at one point and yelled at them to lift their heads high — this game is NOT over,” Young said.
Over the next four minutes, Clark Fork was able to score a touchdown to get within one score. Now down 42-36, Clark Fork needed to force the Knights to go three and out to have any shot at getting the football back.
“We stopped them for no gain and then wrapped them up in the backfield for a one yard loss,” Young said. “They ended up needing 11 yards on fourth down and only picked up nine.”
With 37 seconds left and no timeouts, Clark Fork needed to drive 60 yards to tie the game with a touchdown. After a couple of passes, the Wampus Cats found their way into the redzone, and with 10 seconds remaining, freshman Cameron Stewart scored a touchdown on a pass from Howard to tie the game, 42-42. Clark Fork’s Cole Mintken would convert the two-point conversion, the crowd erupted, 44-42, Wampus Cats.
“I had people coming up to me and telling me this was one of the best football games they have ever seen,” Young said. “Every single one of these boys plays with so much heart. I could not be more proud.”
Young mentioned how Payton Stevens and Emmitt Johnson, who usually play defensive line, filled in roles on the offensive side of the ball, and that Mateo Cruz was playing almost every position possible.
On top of that, players like Stewart, who haven’t seen much action this year, put up massive performances. Stewart had three receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Cole Mintken, who usually plays defense, ended up carrying the ball 23 times for 135 yards. Dillon Ryan-Downing posted eight carries for 51 yards and a 10-yard receiving touchdown.
Senior Ethan Howard and junior Evrett Montgomery put up the biggest performances of the night. Montgomery had nine receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns. At quarterback, Howard played arguably his best game of all-time, throwing 15 completions for 246 yards and five touchdown passes.
“What can I say, we never gave up,” Young said. “What a statement for our program to be able to qualify for the state championship for the second straight year.”
Clark Fork (4-3) will face Garden Valley (6-2) in the first round of the 1A state championship at home this Friday at 7 p.m.