Clarkston Hands Wv 28-7 Defeat
A tight end broke open a tight football game when Clarkston beat West Valley 28-7 in the season’s first Frontier League encounter Friday.
Bantams tight end Zack Blankinship scored three touchdowns to bring the visitors back from an early deficit.
The first, in the second quarter, tied the score. Two in the third quarter won it.
All three times Blankinship was uncontested on receptions in the middle of the field, scoring twice from 16 yards and once from 39.
“Their safety flies out when we put a man in motion,” said Blankinship. “After that, there’s no one there. We practiced hard on it all week long.”
West Valley had scored in the first quarter on a 69-yard cross-field pass from Nick Brumback to Chris Hilsabeck.
Blankinship tied the game on the first play of the second quarter and scored twice more before the third period reached its midpoint.
“Their linemen were the difference,” said WV coach Steve Kent. “We couldn’t run our offense. We’re an option team; they took us out of it.”
Tyson Thivierge disrupted things so badly the Eagles fumbled four times, losing two, and had two bad pitches.
The only effective runner was Brumback, and he netted just 29 yards. Some came on scrambles after he was pressured attempting to pass.
“Except for one big play, I thought the defense controlled the line of scrimmage,” Clarkston coach Dave Curtis agreed.
Line dominance also forced WV to resort to trick plays. Receiver Brad Groh completed a 16-yard pass off a reverse in the first half. In fourth quarter, a flea flicker from Brumback to Groh to Hilsabeck would have produced a 32-yard touchdown were it not for a procedure penalty that nullified the play.
Clarkston’s final score came with 1:47 left by reserve back Josh Landrus following an interception.
The Bantams rushed for 249 yards and had 352 yards of total offense. The Eagles totaled 260, Brumback throwing for 177.
“Defensively, we hung and hung, and then we made a couple mistakes,” said Kent.
Those mistakes resulted in all four Bantams scores.
Clarkston 28, West Valley 7
Clarkston 0 7 14 7 - 28
West Valley 7 0 0 0 - 7
W-Hilsabeck 70 pass from Brumback (Roberts kick)
C-Blankinship 17 pass from Storm (Norland kick)
C-Blankinship 39 pass from Storm (Norland kick)
C-Blankinship 17 pass from Storm (Norland kick)
C-Landros 55 run (Norland kick)
Lake City 21, Cheney 17
Aaron Cohen took a pitch from Chad Troxel and hit Richard Novotny in the end zone with 1:17 left as the Timberwolves (4-0) rallied past the visiting Blackhawks (0-2-1) in a non-leaguer at Coeur d’Alene.
Ryan Duncan had a sack and Josh Jaeger knocked down two passes before intercepting a third to halt Cheney’s final possession.
LC trailed 17-7 before scoring on a Troxel keeper with 4:42 left.
Cheney’s Pat Laughlin rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries in the first half. He finished with 96 on 24 carries.
Cheney -0 3 7 7 - 17
Lake City 7 0 0 14 - 21
LC-Troxel 5 run (Stroh kick)
C-Fausett 24 FG
C-Laughlin 1 run (Stroh kick)
C-Eggart 43 pass from Stiffler (Stroh kick)
LC-Troxel 11-run (Stroh kick)
LC-Novotny 18 pass from Cohen (Stroh kick)
East Valley 35, Sandpoint 14
Adrian Likely rushed for 162 yards as the visiting Knights (2-1) piled up 439 yard during a non-league win over the battered Bulldogs (2-2).
EV rushed for 368 yards and 19 first downs. Kris Allen completed 6 of 9 for 71 yards, T.J. Horgan had seven tackles and caused a fumble, and John Unser had five tackles and two sacks for EV.
Sandpoint played without three injured starters from its offensive line. Caleb Bowman had three receptions for 51 yards for Sandpoint, which was limited to 7 rushing yards in the second half.
East Valley 6 8 14 7 - 35
Sandpoint 0 0 6 8 - 14
EV-Likely 73 run (kick failed)
EV-Likely 6 run (Allen run)
EV-Likely 11 run (kick failed)
S-Berkley 95 kickoff return (kick failed)
EV-Jones 2 run (Allen run)
EV-Unser 15 pass from Allen (Allen kick)
S-Bowman 31 pass from Nieman (Bowman pass from Nieman)
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