COEUR d’ALENE — For a second straight week, there were smiles and hugs on the Lake City sideline after another decisive Timberwolf victory.

Kinda like the old days.

Bruce Shipley passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for two more, as Lake City defeated Post Falls 45-24 in the 5A Inland Empire League football opener for both teams Friday night.

“For us, it’s a great thing, because it’s been awhile since we’ve won a couple in a row,” Lake City coach Van Troxel said. “Doing this as long as I’ve been doing it, winning is contagious. We’ve got to get back to learning how, and keep working at winning.”

Lake City (2-1-1) totaled 542 yards, and you could hardly beat the balance — 272 on the ground, 270 in the air. Shipley hit Mitch Bevacqua on TD passes of 65 and 21 yards, and he ran for a pair of 10-yard scores. And Jerry Louie-McGee scooted 80 yards down the sideline for a third-quarter TD.

“We’re just looking to try to keep getting better,” Troxel said. “Bruce is getting better reading it, and we’re able to throw the ball. Offensively, our running game is consistent, and Jerry and Mitch are explosive. They make the big plays, and everybody else does the little things.”

Post Falls (1-3) moved the ball on the ground, totaling 249 yards, but three turnovers killed the Trojans, who fell behind early, and when they did score to inch closer, Lake City matched the score.

“We just didn’t capitalize on that early opportunity on the blocked punt,” Post Falls coach Jeff Hinz said. “Then we got it down to the red zone and we jumped offsides, didn’t capitalize there. A couple big plays by them kinda set the distance, and it was too hard for us to catch up.”

Curtis Triplett of Post Falls blocked a punt on the first series, but two plays later, Joey Pfennigs’ pass was deflected and intercepted by Wyatt Nelson of Lake City.

Shipley hit Jerry Louie-McGee for 73 yards to set up Shipley’s first TD run. Post Falls drove to the 3 before settling for a 23-yard field goal by Timmy Mueller. Bevacqua got behind the Post Falls defense and hauled in a 65-yard TD pass.

Late in the first half, on a toss into the right corner of the end zone, Bevacqua and Ryan Morris of Post Falls both came down with the ball, and the officials ruled it a Lake City touchdown on the simultaneous possession, giving the T-Wolves a 21-3 halftime lead.

Tucker Louie-McGee had an interception and later forced a fumble for Lake City, recovered by Blake Torok.

Mason Lickfold rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, and Seth McLeod added 89 yards on 17 carries and a score for Post Falls, which totaled 372 yards.

Next Friday, Post Falls travels to Lakeland, and Lake City travels to Lewiston in another league clash.

Post Falls 3 0 14 7 — 24

Lake City 7 14 10 14 — 45

LC — Bruce Shipley 10 run (Andrew Hocking kick)

PF — FG Timmy Mueller 23

LC — Mitch Bevacqua 65 pass from Shipley (Hocking kick)

LC — Bevacqua 21 pass from Shipley (Hocking kick)

LC — FG Hocking 35

PF — Mason Lickfold 7 run (Mueller kick)

LC — Jerry Louie-McGee 80 run (Hocking kick)

PF — Seth McLeod 1 run (Mueller kick)

LC — Brandon Johnson 2 run (Hocking kick)

PF — Joey Pfennigs 4 run (Mueller kick)

LC — Shipley 10 run (Hocking kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PF, Lickfold 17-92, Slater 4-15, Pfennigs 5-6, Hensley 5-48, McLeod 17-89, Brown 1-(minus 1). LC, J. Louie-McGee 8-107, Shipley 13-39, Johnson 10-60, Rosteck 3-50, H. Damschen 2-2, Bevacqua 4-14.

PASSING — PF, Pfennigs 9-16-2-123, Thompson 0-1-0-0. LC, Shipley 14-21-0-270, T. Louie-McGee 0-2-0-0.

RECEIVING — PF, McKeown 3-15, Morris 3-81, Hensley 1-10, Lickfold 1-12, Buschbacher 1-5. LC, R. Damschen 1-14, J. Louie-McGee 4-114, Bevacqua 4-104, Hocking 1-6, Johnson 2-23, H. Damschen, 2-9.