Sandpoint drills Middleton
The Sandpoint football team opened the State 4A playoffs with a 30-0 win over visiting Middleton.
Read correspondent William Love's unedited story by clicking the tab below.
By William
Love
Correspondent
SANDPOINT
— Home, home, Kibbie Dome.
The
saying became a rallying cry this week as the Sandpoint football team prepared
to host its 4A state playoff opener against Middleton. The Bulldogs, who will
host playoff games until the state championship game in the Kibbie Dome in
"We
have been saying that ever since we won (the league championship),"
Sandpoint senior running back Ben Fisher. "I think (playing at home) is a
big advantage for us. We get a big turnout every night - Sandpoint really
supports us."
The
Bulldogs will next host defending state champion Hillcrest of Idaho Falls (9-1),
which beat
Sandpoint
advanced to the state semifinals for the first times since 2005 by shutting
down a potent Middleton ground attack. The Vikings, which utilize the
double-wing, entered Friday's game with a six-game winning streak and averaging
nearly 270 yards per game rushing.
Sandpoint
(8-2) held Middleton (7-3) to just one first down and 14 yards in the first
half.
"They
are coming off a six-game winning streak, and I think our kids made them look
like they were not a team on a six-game winning streak," said Sandpoint coach
Mike Mitchell, whose team allowed the Vikings a total of 32 yards on the
ground. "That's what it looked like tonight."
The
Bulldogs, meanwhile, looked like a team with a five-game winning streak of
their own. Sandpoint powered its way down the field on its first possession led
by Fisher and fellow running back Cody Hecker. The Bulldogs offensive line
opened up big holes in the middle until the speedy Fisher capped a nine-play
drive with a six-yard run sweep to the outside.
It was
the first of two rushing TDs for Fisher, who also threw a 10-yard scoring pass
to AJ Smith late in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a commanding 20-0
lead.
"When
you can run the ball like they did, it opens up the play-action stuff and it
puts you in a bind," Middleton head coach Bill Brock said.
"Offensively, they just beat us up front."
The
Vikings could only muster three first downs for the game, while Sandpoint
collected 20. The Bulldogs finished with 396 yards of total offense, including
278 on the ground.
"We
are playing real well right now," said Mitchell, who got his first playoff
win as Sandpoint's head coach. "Sometimes everything goes right, and our
kids are really playing well. I think we are really a good football team.
"It
is going to be tough. When you get down to the final four anything can happen,
but these guys have a chance."