PREP FOOTBALL: Sandpoint downed by Pocatello on final play

BUTTE, Mont. — In a shootout at Montana Tech University's Bob Green Field, Sandpoint, with about 15 seconds remaining, went for the two-point conversion after the would-be game-tying touchdown by Jeremiah Palmer, but Pocatello stopped the Bulldogs short of the goal line in a heartbreaking 49-48 loss Friday. 

To start the fourth quarter, with the Bulldogs trailing 35-28, junior Lucas Garrison returned a kickoff 67 yards to set up Sandpoint at the Pocatello 21-yard line. A couple of plays later, senior Ashlei Hawkins, who rushed 18 times for 134 yards on the night, ran the ball up the middle for a 6-yard score to tie the game at 35.

Pocatello responded as senior Hunter May, who had a hand in all seven of the Thunders' touchdowns, threw a 17-yard pass to senior wideout Tavin Williams to put Pocatello back on top by a touchdown. With roughly five minutes remaining, Palmer, who rushed 12 times for 78 yards and two scores, capped off an 85-yard Bulldog drive to tie the game at 42.

Down to about 2:30 to go, May, who had two rushing touchdowns on the night, five passing, stepped into the endzone untouched after 17 yards to give the Thunder the go-ahead touchdown. Sandpoint had one final chance ... and converted after a 66-yard drive with junior quarterback Braden Buckhout leading the way; Palmer, with a healthy push by the offensive line, scored his second touchdown with a 4-yard rush. On the ensuing two-point try, Palmer was stopped just short, and the Thunder celebrated knowing the game was all but over.

"I hate to put it all on one play," Sandpoint High head coach Ryan Knowles said. "The offense played amazing tonight. With a game like that, it's a game you're supposed to win."

Junior Dallen Williams, who has become Sandpoint's No.1 wide receiver, scored two touchdowns, both in the second quarter, off passes of 9 and 12 yards from Drew Lehman, which put Sandpoint up 21-7. Lehman, who scored on rushes of 2 and 11 yards in the first and third quarters, respectively, finished the contest 12-for-15 with 154 passing yards, 74 rushing yards, 18 receiving yards and four total touchdowns. Junior Brady Newhart paced Sandpoint in receptions, hauling in four catches for 53 yards.

The Bulldogs finished the contest with 531 total yards of offense, 318 rushing and 213 passing.

Pocatello stopped Sandpoint three times, twice in the first half, intercepting Buckhout in the endzone and stopping the Bulldogs on multiple fourth and shorts — surely difference makers in a game where Sandpoint's defense forced zero turnovers.

"On defense, we tried to keep it simple, but had some critical breakdowns," coach Knowles said. "We were having a hard time containing the football, which is all we talk about. We lost Kam Ziarnick early, which hurt us, because we're currently pretty thin on the backend. We just couldn't execute."

Coach Knowles said Sandpoint (3-2), which hosts Coeur d'Alene for senior night Friday, will get things back on track.

"I expect that the boys are going to show up and want to make things right against one of the better teams in Idaho," coach Knowles said. "There's a lot of pride on the line, so we'll get back to work and get ready to go."

Pocatello 7 13 15 14 — 49

Sandpoint 7 14 7 20 — 48

1st quarter

SPT — Lehman 2 run (Bradburn kick)

POC — McCulloch 20 pass from May (Tabakece kick)

2nd quarter

SPT — Williams 12 pass from Lehman (Bradburn kick)

SPT — Williams 9 pass from Lehman (Bradburn kick)

POC — May 80 run (Tabakece kick)

POC — Cordell 3 pass from May (kick no good)

3rd quarter

POC — Stucki 31 pass from May (two-point conversion good)

SPT — Lehman 11 run (Bradburn kick)

POC — Cordell 15 pass from May (Tabakece kick)

4th quarter

SPT — Hawkins 6 run (Bradburn kick)

POC — Williams 17 pass from May (Tabakece kick)

SPT — Palmer 2 run (Bradburn kick)

POC — May 17 run (Tabakece kick)

SPT — Palmer 4 run (two-point no good)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: SPT — Hawkins 18-134, Palmer 12-78, Lehman 17-74, Gomez 3-28, Buckhout 1-4. POC — May 20-198, T. Williams 3-1.

PASSING: SPT — Lehman 12-15-2-154, Buckhout 5-8-0-59. POC — May 17-32-5-217.

RECEIVING: SPT — Newhart 4-53, D. Williams 4-44, Turner 3-39, Gomez 2-37, Lehman 2-18, Hawkins 1-15, Mooney 1-7. POC — T. Williams 4-64, Cordell 5-55, Stucki 1-31, McCulloch 2-25, Adams 2-24, Mechling 2-21, Austin 1-(-3).