POST FALLS — A decade is a long time to wait for anything.

The next few days leading into the Post Falls Trojans’ first state football playoff appearance since 2004 will likely be enjoyed a few days longer.

As time expired, Post Falls quarterback Dalton Thompson hit tight end Kameron Welker on a 1-yard touchdown pass to pull the Trojans to within 36-35.

When the duo connected again on the two-point conversion, it sent the Trojans to a 37-36 victory over the Coeur d’Alene Vikings at Trojan Stadium in a wild 5A Inland Empire League finale for both on Friday night.

Post Falls (5-4, 2-1 5A IEL) travels to Eagle (8-1) next weekend in the first round of the state playoffs.

“It’s incredible,” Post Falls coach Jeff Hinz said, fighting back tears. “We’re in the playoffs, baby.”

The play, originally supposed to be a quarterback run, was changed at the last minute by Thompson.

“Originally, I was going to run it,” Thompson said. “But I’m too slow. The Coeur d’Alene guy caught me, so I saw Kameron in the end zone and tossed it up to him.”

Thompson didn’t see Welker come up with the winning conversion.

“I thought he dropped it,” Thompson said. “But he’s a great player and makes plays like that.”

“It was very special,” Welker said. “It’s our first time in the playoffs in 10 years, and it feels amazing. I just ran my route and was open. Dalton got out of pressure long enough and just made a great pass on that conversion.”

It will also be the first playoff appearance as coach for Hinz, in his 10th season as Trojans coach.

Coeur d’Alene (6-3, 1-2) is also playoff bound, receiving the at-large bid and will travel to Meridian (4-5) next weekend.

“It’s great,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said about getting into the playoffs. “But it will be a short run if we keep playing like that.”

Post Falls led 21-14 at the end of the third quarter, but an interception by Myles Mahaffy at the 35-yard line gave the Vikings new life. Coeur d’Alene tied the game on a 4-yard run by quarterback Austin Lee with 10:51 remaining.

Coeur d’Alene took the lead with 7:07 remaining as Ryan Walde caught a 14-yard TD pass from Lee to put the Vikings ahead 28-21.

Post Falls answered on its next possession on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Thompson to Zach Hillman with 4:04 remaining, then went up 29-28 with a two-point conversion.

Coeur d’Alene answered on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Lee to Colby Daniels with 2:16 remaining, and a two-point conversion for a 36-29 lead.

With 80 yards left in its season, Post Falls answered as Thompson hit Nathan Gregory on a 45-yard pass, followed by a series of runs by Thompson and Austin Jackson, and capped by Welker’s score.

“We just kept going and going,” Hinz said. “Our defense bent, but it didn’t break. We just got it done.”

Thompson finished the game with 275 yards passing and another 129 rushing. Hillman had seven catches for 129 yards for Post Falls.

“He’s been our guy all year,” Hinz said. “He’s been the one pulling the trigger for us all year. He made a hell of a play, the entire game.”

Walde finished with 141 yards receiving for Coeur d’Alene.

“Post Falls deserved that win and made the big plays when they needed to,” Amos said. “They deserved that win and it was a gutsy performance by them. We hung in, scrapped, but they just played better and we did not.”

Coeur d’Alene140022—36

Post Falls76816—37

First quarter 

Cd’A — Ryan Walde 77 pass from Austin Lee (Brennen Barber kick), 11:40

PF — Hunter Harmon 10 pass from Dalton Thompson (Nathan Gregory kick), 4:51

Cd’A — Drew Berger 6 run (Barber kick), 3:21

Second quarter 

PF — Austin Jackson 3 run (kick blocked), 2:28

Third quarter 

PF — Jackson 1 run (Chaz Bailey pass from Thompson), 4:56

Fourth quarter

Cd’A — Lee 4 run (Barber kick), 10:50

Cd’A — Walde 14 pass from Lee (Barber kick), 7:07

PF — Zach Hillman 33 pass from Thompson (Ryan English pass from Thompson), 4:04

Cd’A — Colby Daniels 37 pass from Lee (Kyle Schneider pass from Lee), 2:16

PF — Kameron Welker 1 pass from Thompson (Welker pass from Thompson), 0.0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Cd’A, Lee, 7-49, Berger, 5-54, Green, 7-30. PF, Thompson, 19-129, Jackson, 32-94, Bailey, 3-3.

PASSING — Cd’A, Lee, 12-21-0-198. PF, Thompson, 13-23-1-275.

RECEIVING — Cd’A, Walde, 6-141, Seibold, 1-7, Berger, 2-3, Schneider, 1-(-2), Hutchings, 1-12, Daniels, 1-37. PF, Hillman, 7-129, Harmon, 1-10, Koski, 3-54, Jackson, 1-13, Nelson, 1-24, Gregory, 1-45, Welker 1-1.