IDAHO FALLS — Thomas Redal’s punt return for a touchdown started the comeback, and Grant Clark’s 3-yard run capped it as the Lake City Timberwolves rallied to beat the Hillcrest Knights 25-22 in a nonleague high school football game Saturday afternoon at Thunder Stadium.

“It’s huge. The kids stepped up and did a great job,” Lake City coach Bryce Erickson said of the win. “In the first half we came out flat, and in the second half we started to come alive. The defense started to fly around, and the offense got the ball up and down the field.”

Trailing 16-6 at halftime, the Timberwolves (2-2) got back in the game via a 75-yard punt return by Thomas Redal midway through the third quarter.

Bowen Oswald of Hillcrest (1-3) boomed a high, 44-yard punt with the wind at his back, but Redal grabbed the ball on a bounce, made a tackler miss, then raced up the left sideline.

Lake City finished off the comeback with 13 points in the fourth quarter. Early in the period, the T-Wolves had an 80-yard scoring drive as junior QB Bryce Buttz lofted a 27-yard pass to Jason Pierard near the right sideline of the end zone. Pierard outleaped two Hillcrest defenders and hauled in the pass, despite pass interference being called on the play. Marco Rojo’s extra point pulled Lake City within 22-19.

The game-winning drive began following defensive tackle Cameron Chun’s fumble recovery at the Hillcrest 36-yard line. Lake City converted a 3rd and 14 with a screen pass from Buttz to Grant Clark, who stretched the ball across the 3 to pick up the first down. On the next play, Clark blasted up the middle and powered over the goal line with 2:08 remaining.

Buttz made his first varsity start as senior quarterback Matt Duchow, who suffered a concussion last week at Central Valley, didn’t make the trip. Duchow will be re-evaluated again this week, Erickson said.

Lake City travels to East Valley on Friday.

Lake City 0 6 6 13 — 25

Hillcrest 7 9 6 0 — 22

First quarter

Hill — Bowen Oswald 1 run (Mikkel Engelsted kick), 4:09

Second quarter

LC — Grant Clark 8 run (kick failed), 11:20

H — Oakley Hussey 34 run (Engelsted kick), 9:29

H — Safety, holding penalty in end zone, 2:17

Third quarter

LC — Thomas Redal 75 punt return (kick failed), 5:16

H — Derek Marlowe 26 pass from Dalton Clark (pass failed), 1:49

Fourth quarter

LC — Jason Pierard 27 pass from Bryce Buttz (Marco Rojo kick), 11:20

LC — Grant Clark 3 run (kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — LC, Grant Clark 21-103, Zane Lettau 2-12, Ram Lettau 2-6, Bryce Buttz 8-(minus 6), team 2-(minus 2), Hill, Oakley Hussey 10-81, Bowen Oswald 16-48, Tyler Johnson 1-8, Dalton Clark 3-4, Kyle Austin 3-1, Braydon Snarr 1-(minus 6).

PASSING — LC, Buttz 16-30-1-173. Hill, D. Clark 14-27-1-172, Austin 1-1-0-1.

RECEIVING — LC, Jason Pierard 6-78, Connor Watkins 4-34, Nick Goldthorpe 3-31, Alec Baughman 2-16, Grant Clark 1-14. Hill, Devin Wernette 5-46, Oswald 4-50, Nathan Oseen 1-28, Marlowe 1-26, Johnson 1-9, Dylan Prestwich 1-8, Snarr 1-5, Hussey 1-1.