PREP FOOTBALL: Post Falls runs past Sandpoint
Sandpoint High senior defensive end Cruz Kurtz battles it out with Post Falls High lineman during Friday night's game.
Photo by Jason Duchow Photography
POST FALLS — Early on, Post Falls ran the ball on the Sandpoint Bulldogs like the Trojans were in a hurry to get somewhere.
Apparently, that somewhere was the end zone.
Post Falls, employing a no-huddle, fast-paced offense, scored on its first two possessions, totaled 221 yards on the ground and rolled past Sandpoint 38-13 in nonleague play Friday night at Trojan Stadium.
“We have not seen a run game like that yet,” Sandpoint coach Ryan Knowles said. “I saw it on film from last week (when Post Falls played Lewiston). It’s hard to practice that tempo, hard to practice their size. It’s good for us to see that, at this point in the season. Good on Post Falls, they execute fast. It’s hard to stop.”
6A Post Falls (2-0) rushed for 146 yards in the first quarter, and its first 13 plays were runs. Devin Burton ran for 111 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, and Brandon Felix ran for 108 yards on 12 carries.
Sandpoint (2-1), ranked third in 5A, sputtered offensively, and two muffed punts didn’t help. Post Falls recovered both, and turned them into 10 points.
“A lot of three-and-outs when our defense needed some help,” Knowles said. “The special teams killed us. Two muffed punts after some stops that were so desperately needed, and then they immediately score right after them.”
Ashlei Hawkins — all 5-foot-4, 150 pounds of him — totaled a hard-earned 94 yards on 20 carries for the Bulldogs.
Post Falls threw the ball just 13 times, but many were for big plays. Caleb Jimmerson, a 6-3 senior wideout, had three catches for 118 yards and two scores. And his other catch set up a touchdown.
Post Falls turned Sandpoint’s first muffed punt into a field goal and a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Trailing 24-0, the Bulldogs got on the board when backup Braden Buckhout connected with Dallen Williams, had three receptions for a season-high 77 yards, on a 40-yard catch and run on fourth down and 5.
But Felix returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards, and three plays later, Jimmerson high-pointed a pass from Isaac McKeown for a 29-yard score and a 31-6 halftime lead.
Post Falls outgained Sandpoint 380-275.
Sandpoint scored on the first possession of the third quarter, when Drew Lehman hit Brady Newhart on a 3-yard scoring toss to pull the Bulldogs within 31-13.
Sandpoint then forced a three-and-out, but then muffed the punt by the Trojans and Post Falls recovered.
On the next play, Jimmerson caught a pass down the middle from McKeown, bounced off a Sandpoint defender and sped to the end zone to complete the 51-yard scoring play.
Sandpoint (2-1) hosts Davis High of Yakima on Friday.
Sandpoint 0 6 7 0 — 13
Post Falls 14 17 7 0 — 38
First quarter
PF — Devin Burton 9 run (Bradyn Singleton kick), 6:51
PF — Isaac McKeown 3 run (Singleton kick), 2:05
Second quarter
PF — FG Singleton 34, 9:40
PF — Jace Ostlund 17 pass from McKeown (Singleton kick), 3:39
Spt — Dallen Williams 40 pass from Braden Buckhout (kick failed), 1:03
PF — Caleb Jimmerson 29 pass from McKeown (Singleton kick), :18
Third quarter
Spt — Brady Newhart 3 pass from Drew Lehman (Reid Bradburn kick), 7:29
PF — Jimmerson 51 pass from McKeown (Singleton kick), 3:49
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Spt, Hawkins 20-94, Lehman 10-55, Smith 4-23, Gomez 1-(minus 4), Buckhout 3-(minus 2). PF, Burton 26-111, Felix 12-108, McKeown 6-2.
PASSING — Spt, Lehman 8-27-0-78, Buckhout 4-9-0-64. PF, McKeown 7-13-0-159.
RECEIVING — Spt, Newhart 4-22, Williams 3-77, Gomez 3-13, Hawkins 2-30. PF, Jimmerson 3-118, Burton 1-6, Sage 1-12, Mathews 1-6, Ostlund 1-17.