SPOKANE - Tyson Johnson's first carry Friday night went for a touchdown.

And he was just getting started.

The senior carried the ball 23 times for 128 yards and four touchdowns to go along with his 215 kick return yards to help Post Falls avenge last week's loss to Madison with a 49-35 nonleague high school football victory at East Valley.

"Tyson is a special player," Trojans coach Jeff Hinz said. "He played really well tonight running the ball. And his returns gave us favorable field position all game."

Johnson put the Trojans (3-1) on the board early, displaying his speed when he cut the corner for a 15-yard touchdown run with 10:04 remaining in the opening quarter.

The run came after East Valley (1-2) appeared to have attempted a fake punt inside its own 30, which failed, handing Post Falls the excellent field position.

"It wasn't a fake punt," Knights coach Adam Fisher said. "We called a punt but the snapper kind of just rolled it."

The Knights successfully orchestrated a fake punt last week in a 31-17 loss to Lakeland.

Following a punt, Trojans quarterback Joey Pfennigs welcomed back running back Marcus Colbert with a 44-yard touchdown pass.

Colbert, a senior, hasn’t played in a game since he suffered a high ankle sprain two years ago in a game against Lake City.

Eight bulging discs in his back kept him on the sidelines last year.

“I was really excited to be back,” said Colbert, who finished the game with five receptions for 64 yards and three rushes for 30 to go along with his two touchdowns.

Following a botched punt by the Trojans, East Valley’s Adam Talley ran the ball 46 yards to tie it at 14.

Johnson’s 1-yard run early in the second quarter put the Trojans back on top.

East Valley responded with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Watkins to J.T. Phelan.

Johnson struck again, this time with an 81-yard kick return which set up Colbert’s 9-yard touchdown run with 3:30 remaining in the first half.

East Valley tied it at 28 at halftime.

The second half belonged to the Trojans, who opened the third quarter with fullback Austin Hensley making his only catch of the night an important one.

Johnson’s 1-yard dive put the Trojans up 42-28.

“We feel pretty good about this win,” Hinz said. “We still have to clean some things up before next week.”

Post Falls welcomes Lakeland next Friday.

Post Falls 14 14 14 7 — 49

East Valley 14 14 0 7 — 35

PF — T. Johnson 15 run (Mueller kick)

PF — Marcus Colbert 44 pass from Pfennigs (Mueller kick)

EV — Gage Burland 9 pass from Watkins (Talley kick)

EV — Adam Talley 46 run (Talley kick)

PF — Tyson Johnson 1 run (Mueller kick)

EV — Phelan 14 pass from Watkins (kick blocked)

PF — Marcus Colbert 9 run (Mueller kick)

EV — Phelan 8 pass from Watkins (conversion good)

PF — Hensley 12 pass from Pfennigs (Mueller kick)

PF — Tyson Johnson 1 run (Mueller kick)

PF — Tyson Johnson 4 run (Mueller kick)

EV — Burland 28 pass from Watkins (Talley kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PF, Johnson 23-128, Pfennigs 2-4, Hensley 2-6, Coulter 4-8, Lickfold 1-5. EV, Talley 12-94, Watkins 3-7, Hofstee 4-8, Jordan 5-3, Baker 4-0

PASSING — PF, Pfennigs 12-13-2-142. EV, Watkins 20-33-4-233, Phelan 0-1.

RECEIVING — PF, Colbert 6-64, Johnson 1-20, Anderson 1-7, Haskew 2-25, Hensley 1-12, May 1-16. EV, Burland 11-113, Rockstrom 1-11, Keplin-Jensen 1-8, Matsuda 1-4, Blocker 2-16, Phelan 5-50, Gonzalez 1-8