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PREP FOOTBALL: Another dramatic win for Post Falls

Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 2 years, 7 months AGO
| October 8, 2022 1:25 AM

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

POST FALLS — You can’t say that Post Falls hasn’t had a flair for the dramatic lately.

Coming off an overtime win at Mt. Spokane last Friday, back home, what else could be expected?

With the game tied at 35 with 2:22 remaining, Post Falls drove the length of the field, scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jake Bustamante with 16 seconds left to push the Trojans to a 42-35 win over the Lewiston Bengals in the 5A Inland Empire League opener for both at Trojan Stadium on Friday night.

“We didn’t want to give them the ball back, that was the No. 1 goal,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “(Jake) Bustamante didn’t get as many touches as we wanted him to have, so we wanted to get him the ball a couple of times and made a couple of good plays. Pretty soon, we’re down there and thought we’d get a field goal or a touchdown. But whatever it was, we didn’t want much time left.”

Lewiston is 5-2.

Sophomore quarterback Isaac McKeown threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns for Post Falls (5-2), two coming in the first half to Alex Shields of 31 and 46 yards.

“Every week he’s getting better,” Bennett said. “He’s just progressing. He sees the field well and gets us in the right runs. He does a nice job with it.”

McKeown completed passes to five different receivers, with junior Ayden Triana catching six passes for 162 yards and a touchdown.

“My offensive line did a good job of keeping me protected,” McKeown said. “We just did what’s best for the team, and at that point it was best to hand the ball off and we did that exactly. I’m so proud of my teammates for everything they do.”

Bustamante finished with 96 yards rushing and three touchdowns, two coming in the fourth quarter for Post Falls.

“I was so happy for him,” McKeown said. “I knew as soon as he got the ball he was going to run it in. I knew.”

“We gave up too many big plays,” Lewiston coach Matt Pancheri said. “I was super proud of our kids. We just kept coming back at them. They didn’t quit and our kids are tough and resilient, but at the end of the day, we just gave up too many big plays.”

Post Falls stopped Lewiston at the goal line with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter to force a turnover on downs. The Trojans turned the ball back over on an interception two plays later, then Lewiston took advantage on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Drew Hottinger to Jackson Lathen. The point-after kick was blocked to keep the Trojans in the lead 28-27.

“That was a big stop for sure for our defense,” Bennett said. “And they made a big stop earlier. We threw an interception coming out of our own end zone. It was one of those high school games that was fun to be a part of and watch. It was a full house and our administration does a good job of getting everyone out for homecoming. It’s a big deal at Post Falls.”

Junior running back Tevin Burns carried for 81 yards, including a 35-yard run to set up another Trojan score in the fourth quarter.

“They did a good job of going really fast on their hurry-up offense,” Pancheri said. “The no-huddle is tough and it’s tough to get the guys lined up. I thought I made it too tough on our guys with the alignments I called tonight. I’ve got to go back to the drawing board against teams that are going that fast.”

Lewiston beat Post Falls in Lewiston last fall. Lewiston, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene all finished 2-1 in league, with the Bengals and Vikings advancing to the state playoffs in a Kansas tiebreaker.

“The last five or six years, whoever won this game has been in the playoffs,” Bennett said. “It’s a big one. Yeah, it’s a big one.”

Post Falls hosts Coeur d’Alene next Friday.

“We’ve got a lot of momentum right now, but I know it’s still early,” McKeown said. “We’ve got to go out and play Coeur d’Alene and beat them as well and just play hard.”

Lewiston hosts Lake City next Friday.

“Coach Bennett is such a good coach,” Pancheri said. “Post Falls is always tough at home and it comes down to the last play every time I’ve been here.”

Lewiston 0 21 6 8 — 35

Post Falls 7 7 14 14 — 42

First quarter

PF — Alex Shields 31 pass from Isaac McKeown (Andon Brandt kick), 4:55.

Second quarter

Lew — Drew Hottinger 15 run (Jackson Lathen kick), 9:58.

Lew — Chris Ricard 8 run (Alex Hernandez kick), 4:28

PF — Shields 46 pass from McKeown (Brandt kick), 2:59.

Lew — Jared Jelinek 40 pass from Hottinger (Hernandez kick), 1:53.

Third quarter

PF — Ayden Triana 75 pass from McKeown (Brandt kick), 11:29.

PF — Jake Bustamante 3 run (Brandt kick), 8:47.

Lew — Lathen 18 pass from Hottinger (kick blocked), 2:08.

Fourth quarter

PF — Bustamante 7 run (Brandt kick), 3:04.

Lew — Brayden Rice 11 pass from Hottinger (Rice pass from Hottinger), 2:22.

PF — Bustamante 5 run (Brandt kick), :16.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Lew, Ricard 9-47, Hottinger 18-81, Lathen 12-86, White 1-28, Jelinek 3-(-2). PF, Bustamante 26-96, Burns 8-81, Triana 2-4, McKeown 4-2, Ostlund 1-(-3).

PASSING — Lew, Hottinger, 10-20-2-229. PF, McKeown, 17-31-2-334.

RECEIVING — Lew, Rice 3-74, White 3-62, Jelinek 3-75, Lathen 1-18. PF, Bowie 3-46, Shields 2-77, Triana 6-162, Rutherford 5-57, Bustamante 1-20

photo

JASON ELLIOTT/Press Post Falls junior wide receiver Ayden Triana (80) hauls in a pass during the fourth quarter of Friday's game against Lewiston.

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