PREP FOOTBALL: Bust-out night for Trojans
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 3 years, 3 months AGO
JASON ELLIOTT/Press Post Falls senior running back Jake Bustamante tries to get out of the grasp of Sunnyside defensive back Brent Maldonado during the fourth quarter of Friday's game at Trojan Stadium.
JASON ELLIOTT/Press Post Falls senior linebacker Cole Cripps brings down Sunnyside quarterback Brent Maldonado during the first quarter of Friday's game.
By JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writer
POST FALLS — The Post Falls Trojans were fortunate on Friday night.
Very fortunate for the two turnovers they received that flipped the momentum of a close game in the first half.
And again for the healthy feet of senior running back Jake Bustamante, who had another performance for the ages.
Bustamante carried 30 times for 282 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans held off the Sunnyside (Wash.) Grizzlies 28-25 at Trojan Stadium on Friday.
Bustamante’s first score was after the Trojan defense stopped Sunnyside on a fourth and 1. He took the snap and ran the ball up the middle 60 yards to open the scoring.
“The play was Lions to the right, and I just put my head down and kept running,” Bustamante said. “I could hear the crowd, but I knew I just had to keep running until the whistle blew.”
After Sunnyside (1-1) tied the game at 7, Post Falls scored on its next snap after an interception by linebacker Cole Cripps, who returned the ball to the 14-yard line, setting up a pass from sophomore Isaac McKeown to junior Asher Bowie with 3:14 remaining in the half.
“Anytime you get a little momentum, you want to take a shot,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “It was a big turnover and a big play by our offense on the pass. It was a big momentum change in the game. Up until that point, it was really back and forth.”
Post Falls stretched the advantage to 21-7 on a 5-yard run by Bustamante early in the third quarter.
“Our offensive line really blocked well tonight,” Bustamante said. “Everyone has my back, and I’ve got theirs. Coach Bennett was calling a good game tonight.”
McKeown threw for 79 yards and one touchdown for Post Falls, with no turnovers.
“We’ve got some skilled receivers, but are having a tough time getting it going,” Bennett said. “We’d like to be more 50/50, but in the last two games, we’ve been a heavy run team. Our offensive line is doing a great job and we just need to continue to run the ball when we think we can.”
Post Falls (2-1) travels to University next Friday.
“We’ve got to continue to come out and put in that work,” Bustamante said. “Coach Bennett is going to help us get there and we’re going to keep at it. We’re not going to take one day for granted.”
Bennett added he was pleased with McKeown, who has been the sole quarterback the last two games after splitting reps at QB in the opener against Skyline of Salt Lake City.
“He’s played really well the last two weeks,” Bennett said. “We just need to continue to get better at that position. But Isaac is a good, hard-working kid and made a lot of good decisions with the ball tonight.”
Junior Tevin Burns scored on an 11-yard run with 9:05 remaining to give Post Falls a 28-19 lead.
Sunnyside quarterback Brent Maldonado threw for 335 yards, including a 38-yard score on fourth down to Dominic Booth, to cut the Trojans' lead to three with 3:17 remaining. Post Falls was able to run out the clock.
“To come out and slow down that passing attack was big for us,” said Bennett of Maldonado. “He’s an excellent quarterback and they really put a lot of pressure on our secondary. Those guys have some good receivers and we play a lot of press coverage and put a lot of pressure on our guys. But they made plays when we needed them.”
Sunnyside 0 7 6 12 — 25
Post Falls 7 7 7 7 — 28
First quarter
PF — Jake Bustamante 60 run (Andon Brandt kick), 5:04
Second quarter
Sun — Rylee Gonzalez 5 run (Ethan Avalos kick), 10:42
PF — Asher Bowie 14 pass from Isaac McKeown (Brandt kick), 3:14
Third quarter
PF — Bustamante 5 run (Brandt kick), 8:53
Sun — Dominic Booth 4 run (pass failed), 4:49
Fourth quarter
Sun — Noah McNair 6 pass from Brent Maldonado (pass failed)
PF — Tevin Burns 11 run (Brandt kick), 9:05
Sun — Booth 38 pass from Maldonado (kick failed), 3:17
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Sun, Gonzalez 7-14, Booth 8-26, Maldonado 4-25, Sanchez 1-0. PF, Rutherford 2-2, Bustamante 30-282, McKeown 3-(-2), Burns 4-23, Ostlund 1-3.
PASSING — Sun, Maldonado, 25-45-1-337. PF, McKeown, 8-19-0-79.
RECEIVING — Sun, Villanueva 4-7, Gonzalez 4-36, McNair 10-139, Diddens 5-68, Briones 1-4, Chavez 2-30, Sanchez 2-7, Robledo 1-7, Booth 4-88. PF, Rutherford 3-24, Bowie 3-32, Ostlund 1-17, Butler 1-13.
