STATE 5A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS: Hawks on a heater ... Lakeland downs Lewiston for sixth-straight win, advances to state semifinals

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

RATHDRUM — From 0-4 to the final four, it's been quite a ride for the Lakeland High football team. 

And that ride will run through the Boise area next week. 

Senior Griffin Tamagni carried the ball 36 times for 190 yards and scored the clinching touchdown with 2:43 remaining as the fourth-seeded Hawks beat the fifth-seeded Lewiston Bengals 23-7 in a state 5A quarterfinal game at Corbit Field on Friday. 

Lakeland (6-4) advances to the state semifinals and will face top-seeded Bishop Kelly (10-0) of Boise next weekend for a bid to the state championship game. Bishop Kelly beat Blackfoot 42-28 in their quarterfinal game on Friday.

Lakeland freshman Levi Nave opened the scoring on a 38-yard interception return to give Lakeland a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. 

"I saw a screen coming," Nave said. "We've been prepping for that all week and saw the ball and went up and got it." 

Nave also recovered a fumble for Lakeland, which forced three turnovers in the game. 

"It was a big play by Levi in the first quarter," Lakeland coach Mike Schroeder said. "Our D-line played a lot better than they'd played against Lewiston in the past. Defensively, we showed up and coach (Tim) Kiefer put in a great defensive game plan." 

"I had a lot of confident in myself tonight," Nave said. I just had to go ball out." 

Lakeland limited Lewiston junior quarterback Dallas Richardson to one completion, a 14-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Richardson ran for 21 yards on the night and was sacked four times. 

"We had good lane integrity tonight," Schroeder said. "He can pedal and run a little bit, and he's hard to get on the ground. We knew they were going to get some yards on us, but we contained him enough to make him squirrelly throwing the ball out of there." 

Tamagni ran for 150 of his 190 yards in the second half for Lakeland, which is in the semifinals for the second time in the last three seasons. 

"I think our team just got a little riled up in the second half," Tamagni said. "Our offensive line started getting the push going." 

With rain falling off and on during most of the first half, Tamagni added he was having some issues with his footing in the first half. 

"It was a little slick and I kept tripping," Tamagni said. "When it dried up, I could finally cut and do the things I wanted to and things started opening up." 

"I think we got into more of a rhythm in the second half," Schroeder said. "We came out and moved the ball a little better. Penalties really hurt us all night and it was hard to overcome that. But I'm proud of the kids. They played hard tonight. Lewiston's a tough out." 

"I thought he was a little timid running in the first half because the holes weren't there," Schroeder said. "Sometimes you've just got to make it happen yourself." 

Lakeland beat Lewiston 21-14 in Lewiston on Oct. 9. The Hawks defeated the Bengals 28-27 in overtime in the opening round of the state playoffs in 2025 in Lewiston.

Lakeland earned a bye after finishing in the top four of the final MaxPreps rankings, while Lewiston beat Pocatello 31-13 last week in the opening round of the playoffs. 

"Our kids were pretty confident in the locker room before the game," Schroeder said. "We tried to keep them humble, but I think there was a little bit of rust in there." 

Lakeland held Lewiston (5-6) to 101 total yards. 

"They were able to bring the pressure a lot in the second half," Lewiston coach Zane Hobart said. "And it got home a lot and created fits for us offensively." 

Lewiston blocked a punt, setting up an 8-yard touchdown run by Michael Moody Jr., giving the Bengals a 7-6 lead with 11:41 remaining in the half. 

"Our defense played their tails off the entire night tonight," Hobart said. "They had a phenomenal first half and I'm really proud of those guys. What that football team does is grind you and grind you and grind you until they can't grind you no more. And that's what that team does to a lot of football teams." 

Lewiston    0    7    0    0    —    7 

Lakeland    6    3    7    7    —    23 

First quarter 

LL — Levi Nave 38 interception return (kick failed), 8:08. 

Second quarter 

Lew — Michael Moody Jr. 8 run (Braxton Nagle kick), 11:41. 

LL — FG Parker Sterling 30, :04. 

Third quarter 

LL — Emmit Rivandeneira 41 pass from Taytum Bligh (Sterling kick), 4:09. 

Fourth quarter 

LL — Griffin Tamagni 6 run (Sterling kick), 2:43. 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — Lew, Richardson 16-21, Moody 8-62, Wilkerson 2-5. LL, Boardman 3-16, Tamagni 36-190, Bligh 8-16, Rivandeneira 1-2. 

PASSING — Lew, Richardson 1-9-1-15. LL, Bligh 3-11-1-76. 

RECEIVING — Lew, Cameron 1-15. LL, Adams 2-27, Tamagni 1-8, Rivandeneira 1-41. 

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Lakeland sophomore fullback Emmit Rivandeneira runs down the sideline for a 41-yard touchdown during the third quarter of Friday's state 5A quarterfinal game against Lewiston at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.