Sandpoint wins in OT, advances to state 4A football title game

By DYLAN GREENE

Bonner County Daily Bee

SANDPOINT — Nothing seems to faze this team.

Backed up on their own 15 with just over two minutes left and trailing 21-14, the Sandpoint Bulldogs could have caved and settled for defeat in Friday’s 4A state semifinal game against Blackfoot. But they didn’t — they found a way.

On a third-and-16 from that spot, quarterback Parker Pettit connected with running back Gerrit Cox down the sideline and the senior rumbled all the way down to the Blackfoot 8. Two plays later, Pettit hooked up with wide receiver Nathan Robere for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:05 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 21-21 and force overtime.

Blackfoot found paydirt to open overtime to take a 28-21 lead. It was Sandpoint’s turn to respond and it did just that when wide receiver Arie VanDenBerg caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Pettit to make it 28-27 in favor of the Broncos.

Just like their overtime shootout with Lewiston earlier this season, the Bulldogs had a chance to win the game with a two-point conversion — and they weren’t going to pass it up. After a timeout by both teams, Pettit took the snap, ran left and found a gap, sailing into the end zone to give Sandpoint a thrilling 29-28 overtime victory over Blackfoot. The win allowed the Bulldogs to punch their ticket to the state championship game for the first time since 2015 and the fourth time since they won their only state title in 1997.

Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Pettit said the Bulldogs weren’t going to let a trip to the state title game slip away for a second straight year. Sandpoint fell to Skyline 20-0 in the state semis last year.

“We’ve just put in too much work to quit,” he said. “We’re too invested to just give up.”

When Sandpoint won the coin toss in overtime and elected to defend first, everyone at War Memorial Field knew the Bulldogs were going to go for the two-point dagger if the opportunity came. Sandpoint coach Ryan Knowles said there was some back-and-forth about the decision once it came to fruition, but the team knew they could seal the deal.

“We were willing to go out and play some more defense and attempt the extra point,” he said, “but if you got a chance to win the game at the 3-yard line, why not? They stop us, it would hurt, but that’s football and we practice those plays all the time. I give a ton of credit to [offensive coordinator Jeremy] Thielbahr.”

The Bulldogs called a speed option on the game-winning conversion. Pettit said it was a play that got stuffed earlier in the game, but Thielbahr believed it would work this time.

“I was getting ready to pitch it to Gerrit [Cox],” he said, “and I was trying to get on the edge, but then a hole opened up, so I just went in.”

The game was a defensive battle for the first three quarters, but six touchdowns were scored in the fourth quarter and overtime. Knowles called the state playoff classic “unreal.”

“I think it lived up to the name dogfight,” he said.

The Bulldogs will meet the winner of the today’s other semifinal game between Skyline and Pocatello next week for the 4A state title at the Kibbie Dome.

Knowles, a University of Idaho grad, can’t wait to return to his alma mater and play for a chance at Sandpoint’s second state title in school history.

“Personally, I can’t wait to get down to the Kibbie Dome,” he said. “What a great opportunity.”

Blackfoot 0 0 7 14 7 — 28

Sandpoint 3 3 0 15 8 — 29

First quarter

SHS — FG Lasse Kuhn 34, 4:23.

Second quarter

SHS — FG Kuhn 31, 1:23.

Third quarter

B — Austin Ramirez 12 run (Tyler Vance kick), 7:44.

Fourth quarter

SHS — Parker Pettit 1 run (Pettit pass to Connor Hindberg), 9:40.

B — Carson Trejo 25 run (Vance kick), 7:43.

B — Ramirez 10 run (Vance kick), 2:24.

SHS — Nathan Robere 3 pass from Pettit (Kuhn kick), 1:05.

Overtime

B — Ramirez 4 run (Vance kick).

SHS — Arie VanDenBerg 14 pass from Pettit (Pettit run).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — B, Ramirez 23-157, Grimmett 14-9, Capson 1-2, King 1-10, Trejo 1-23. SHS, Cox 20-87, Pettit 17-90, VanDenBerg 2-7, Benefield 1-2, Kuhn 1-2.

PASSING — B, Grimmett 15-27-2-191. SHS, Pettit 10-20-0-202.

RECEIVING — B, King 7-73, Hale 6-93, Moore 2-25. SHS, VanDenBerg 2-22, Benefield 1-12, Cox 5-140, McCorkle 1-28, Robere 1-3.