Badgers Win Iml, Playoff Spot
Bonners Ferry football coach Ted Reynolds might want to do a little motivational speaking when the season is over.
Whatever he said to his Badgers at halftime of Friday’ Intermountain League game against St. Maries appeared to have an impact.
The Badgers came out fired up after a dismal first half and pulled out an emotional come-frombehind 29-28 win.
Reynolds’ speaking tour will have to wait. The win not only extended the Badgers’ season, it robbed Reynolds of his voice.
The win gives the Badgers (4-1 IML, 5-4 overall) the league title and the right to host a first-round playoff game a week from today against Middleton (7-2).
The league’s second seed is not quite as clear.
St. Maries (3-2, 6-3) falls into a three-way tie for second with Kellogg and Lakeland. Those three will meet Tuesday at Lake City in Coeur d’Alene in a tie-breaker to decide a state berth.
The 300 fans at Mendenhall Stadium had to wait until the final 41 seconds for the outcome.
Down 29-28, the Lumberjacks faced a fourth-and-1 at the Badgers 28. A handoff to fullback Justin Hall was crushed by defensive lineman Jacob Johnson.
“I was on a blitz and I busted through the line,” Johnson said. “He was there …”
The Lumberjacks held Adam Hiatt, the Badger’s leading rusher, to just 7 yards on six carries in the first half and kept Bonners Ferry’s offense off the field.
That allowed St. Maries to build a 20-6 halftime lead. The Lumberjacks scored on their first three possessions on impressive drives. So what was Reynolds’ message to his Badgers at halftime?
“These kids don’t get down,” Reynolds said. “We just told them in the locker room ‘So what? We’ve been down before.”’
But the Badgers, and in particular Hiatt, came alive in the second half. Hiatt finished with 109 yards on 24 carries. The Badgers scored on their first two possessions to take a 21-20 lead.
Bonners Ferry 29, St. Maries 28
St. Maries 14 6 0 8 - 28 Bonners Ferry 0 6 15 8 - 29
S-Taisey 4 run (Holdhal pass from Willard)
S-Hall 5 run (pass failed)
B-Hiatt 1 run (pass failed)
S-Nemth 27 run (kick failed)
B-Hiatt 11 run (Ross pass from Van Gundy)
B-Meeker 46 pass from Van Gundy (Clark kick)
B-Hiatt 5 run (Ross pass from Van Gundy)
S-Craner 25 pass from Willard (Craner pass from Willard)