Post Falls can’t take advantage of chances in shutout loss

The Capital Eagles punished Post Falls through the air and on the ground as the Boise school throttled the Trojans 35-0 in a season football opener for both teams Friday.

What made watching it transpire more difficult for the Trojans is they had opportunities in the first half to stay close to the visiting Eagles.

Four times the Trojans drove into Capital territory – twice within smelling distance of the goal line – but they came away empty.

Post Falls is coming off a 2-7 season. Trojans coach Jeff Hinz knows that his team must learn how to win again.

“We’ve got to learn how to win and we’ve got to learn how to finish,” Hinz said. “Eight-, 10- and 12-play drives – I don’t know what those first four were, but we moved the ball. Then we kind of took a step backward there a little bit. We’ve got to grow up a little bit.”

On the opening drive of the game, Post Falls used 14 plays to move inside Capital’s 25-yard line. But on fourth-and-9, senior quarterback Joey Pfennigs, a three-year starter, came up 3 yards short as he scrambled to the 17.

Capital scored on its first possession.

On Post Falls’ second offensive series, the Trojans again drove deep into Eagles territory, but the drive stalled when Pfennigs, rolling to his left, tried to throw back against his body over the middle and was intercepted at the 5.

Capital scored quickly for a 14-0 lead.

Post Falls had to punt from Capital’s 47 on the next series.

On their fourth and final possession of the first half, the Trojans inserted backup quarterback Dalton Thompson, a junior, to give him a taste of varsity play. He engineered a drive to Capital’s 39 before the Trojans punted.

The margin could have been worse for the Trojans at halftime, too. Capital piled up 303 yards total offense but only had two TDs to show for it.

In the second half, Capital was much more efficient and the Trojans had no answer.

“Some of those drives, offensively and defensively, we didn’t finish,” Hinz said. “And we’ve got to get off the field on third down.”

The Trojans’ top three running backs dealt with injuries at various times. Only senior Marc Conradi was left standing at the end.

Junior Seth McLeod was carted off on the back of a utility vehicle with ice wrapped around his left ankle and senior Patrick Agueros looked as if he were trying to shake off cramps in a leg.

Post Falls will have short preparation for next Thursday’s home game against Graham-Kapowsin.

“There are some good things that we did, obviously, and there are some bad things that we did,” Hinz said. “We’re trying to work in a new offense and we still have some growing pains and some issues. We’ve just got to convert in the red zone and we didn’t.”

Junior Capital quarterback Conner Poulson, making his first varsity start, completed 13 of 21 passes for 166 yards while rushing for 104 on eight carries.