RATHDRUM — It wasn’t so much that the Lakeland Hawks caught the visiting Post Falls Trojans off guard, they just got some good bounces in the first half of Friday’s nonleague football game at Corbit Field.

Behind that familiar defense that had allowed only 7 points in back-to-back wins, the Trojans’ defense stiffened in the second half and Post Falls was able to hold on.

Braden Vaughan scored on a 5-yard touchdown run with 2:48 remaining in the third quarter for the Trojans, who were able to hang on to a 34-32 win over the Hawks.

“You’ve really got to give Lakeland credit,” Post Falls interim coach Blaine Bennett said. “It was their homecoming game, and they came out and the stands were packed. There was a lot of energy and excitement, coach (Tim) Kiefer and his staff did an amazing job of putting a game plan together, all the way from the first drive of the game. They stuck it to us and moved the ball, then we traded some points for a while, then they created some big plays.”

After the teams played to a 6-6 tie at the end of the first quarter, the flood gates opened on the scoreboard in the final four minutes of the half as the teams combined to score 34 points in the quarter.

Lakeland took a 20-13 lead on a 48-yard fumble return by Austin Stubbs with 2:38 remaining in the quarter. Post Falls raced down the field and evened the score on an 5-yard touchdown run by Nate Buer, but Lakeland went into halftime with a 26-20 lead following a 90-yard kickoff return by Tanner Fuston.

Post Falls had three turnovers in the first half, one in the second half.

Post Falls tied it on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Buer to Allan Ballew with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter.

Jayden Gering, who opened the scoring for Post Falls on a 78-yard touchdown run on a reverse, finished with 102 yards rushing and 74 yards receiving.

“We were focused on them, but I think we might have underestimated them a little bit,” Vaughan said. “That why I think we didn’t get out to as good of start as we should have. They got a big lead on us and we were able to come back. Just came back and found a way to get a win.”

Vaughan, who replaced injured Kaden Nelson at running back in the third quarter, ran for 67 of his 84 yards in the second half.

Lakeland got a pair of first quarter field goals by Noah Feasier — who plays on the soccer team — from 33 and 23 yards out.

“I’m proud of our kids and the way they played,” Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said. “They were very opportunistic and took advantage of some things in the recent past we haven’t been. It’s nice to see the kids progressing and getting better and playing hard. It was a fun game to be a part of.”

Lakeland (2-3) — which has now lost its three games by a total of four points — travels to Timberlake next Friday in another rivalry game. After a trip to Moscow to open 4A Inland Empire League play on Oct. 7, Lakeland returns home to face Sandpoint.

Post Falls (4-1) hosts Wenatchee next Friday before starting 5A Inland Empire League play at Lake City on Oct. 7.

Post Falls 6 14 14 0 — 34

Lakeland 6 20 0 6 — 32

First quarter

LL — FG, Noah Feasier 30, 7:54

PF — Jayden Gering 78 run (run failed), 7:24

LL — FG, Feasier, 23, 1:34

Second quarter

PF — Kaden Nelson 3 run (Braden Vaughan kick), 4:16

LL — Andrew Neilson 70 pass from Josh Brandt (Feasier kick), 3:55

LL — Austin Stubbs 48 fumble return (Feasier kick), 2:38

PF — Nate Buer 5 run (Vaughan kick), 1:28

LL — Tanner Fuston 90 kickoff return (run failed), 1:18

Third quarter

PF — Alan Ballew 40 pass from Buer (Vaughan kick), 5:11

PF — Vaughan 5 run (Vaughan kick), 2:48

Fourth quarter

LL — Neilson 3 run (run failed), 4:42

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PF, Walton 1-4, Gering 5-102, Buer 4-26, Vaughan 21-84, Nelson 14-80. LL, Fuston 3-12, Vahey 13-20, Norman 5-29, Gatten 12-42, Neilson 10-26, Pote 2-7, Plonka 1-15.

PASSING — PF, Buer, 14-23-0-222. LL, Vahey, 2-4-0-6, Siegford, 2-5-0-44, Brandt, 1-2-1-70.

RECEIVING — PF, Gering 2-74, Mills 7-70, Haines 1-10, Barber 1-5, Nelson 1-15, Ballew 1-40, Walton 1-2. LL, Cysewski 2-44, Neilson 2-71, Pote 1-5.