POST FALLS — Offense has been Post Falls’ calling card in recent years.

But on a chilly Friday night, it was defense that helped the Trojans fend off the shorthanded and upset-minded Lake City Timberwolves.

Post Falls quarterback Derek Pearse ran 7 yards for the go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, and the Trojans made some big defensive plays in the fourth to seal a 25-20 victory in the 5A Inland Empire League opener for both teams on senior night at Trojan Stadium.

“I tell you what, when you play league, everybody starts over; everybody’s 0-0 and you have three league games,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “We had to fight through some adversity, and it was great to see our defense come out and put together a great second half — some big stops.”

Lake City (3-4), playing without quarterback Chris Irvin (broken collarbone) and running back Uriah Chavez (ankle injury; out for the season), took just three plays to take the lead. Sophomore Josiah Weaver hit Matthew Whitcomb for 17 yards and Logan Jeanselme for 9, then Seth Nutting, who replaced Chavez, ran 39 yards for a 6-0 lead.

Post Falls (5-2) answered with touchdowns on its next three possessions, all TD passes by Pearse (one to Josh Burton, two to Tommy Hauser) for a 19-6 lead at the quarter.

On Hauser’s first TD, he caught a short pass to the left, spun out of a tackle and raced down the sideline to complete the 59-yard scoring play. On the second one, he caught a short pass to the right, then deked two Lake City defenders and tightroped the sideline to finish the 14-yard scoring play.

Lake City put together a 6-minute drive in the second quarter, capped by Weaver’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Russell on fourth-and-goal.

Lake City got the ball back after a punt, and drove 50 yards for a score, Nutting running it in from 5 yards out with :38 seconds left. He ran in the two-point conversion and the Timberwolves led 20-19 at the half.

“Emotionally, we were flat,” Bennett said of the first half. “And give Lake City credit; they played a very good football game, and they had some adversity too.”

Post Falls drove on its first possession of the second half, but Eli Gondo, who ran for 103 yards on 23 carries, fumbled at the 5-yard line and the Timberwolves recovered.

Lake City marched inside the Post Falls 30, but on fourth down Weaver was stopped short by Austin Tipton of Post Falls. That turned out to be the T-Wolves’ last best scoring attempt. The Trojans then drove for the go-ahead score.

Pearse was intercepted by Lukas Neal at the Lake City 1-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. The T-Wolves had to punt, but stopped Pearse on fourth-and-1 at the Lake City 10.

With 1:36 left, Weaver hit Jeanselme for 35 yards up the sideline to the 46. But two incompletions and a sack by Colt Strayer made it fourth and 16, where Weaver was pressured into a wobbly pass that was intercepted by Jaxon Anderson with :50 left to seal the game.

“We just missed a couple opportunities,” Lake City coach Brian Fulp said. “Defensively, I thought we played great; they’re one of the best offenses in the state, and we executed our game plan ... but in the end, we just didn’t quite have that last one in us. I thought Josiah played great. Nutting stepped in and was excellent. ... we were just about 2 inches away on that last throw.”

Irvin and Chavez were both injured in last week’s loss to Sandpoint. Weaver, who replaced Irvin last week, completed 17 of 23 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown in his first start, with one interception. Nutting ran for 102 yards on 22 carries.

Post Falls outgained Lake City 373-326

As for that adversity?

“Oh boy, you name it,” said Bennett, who was also without a starter in junior middle linebacker/tight end Josiah Shields, injured last week vs. Lewis and Clark. “We were three-and-out several times, missed opportunities, they scored first — that hasn’t happened to us in a while. ... We started slow, but they fought through it. It was nice to see that we got some energy (at halftime), and we came out in the second half and played a good second half in all three phases.”

Next Friday, Lake City is home vs. Coeur d’Alene, and Post Falls travels to Lewiston.

Lake City 6 14 0 0 — 20

Post Falls 19 0 6 0 — 25

First quarter

LC — Seth Nutting 39 run (PAT failed), 9:57.

PF — Jake Burton 21 pass from Derek Pearse (Louis Sachse kick)

PF — Tommy Hauser 50 pass from Pearse (kick failed), 3:41

PF — Hauser 14 pass from Pearse (pass failed), :27

Second quarter

LC — Ethan Russell 4 pass from Josiah Weaver (pass failed), 4:14

LC — Nutting 5 run (Nutting run), :38

Third quarter

PF — Pearse 7 run (kick failed), :33

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — LC, Nutting 22-102, Weaver 13-9, Jeanselme 3-10. PF, Gondo 23-103, Hauser 1-12, McLeod 7-61, Pearse 5-2.

PASSING — LC, Weaver 17-23-1-205. PF, Pearse 17-31-1-195.

RECEIVING — LC, Whitcomb 3-49, Jeanselme 7-83, Bowman 3-31, Rosenau 1-2, Russell 2-9, Webb 1-31. PF, Curtis 1-7, Hauser 6-95, Burton 5-57, Lee 2-24, Gondo 3-12.