St. Maries Continues To Be Best Defeat Moscow High, 14-6 Behind Holdahl, Veteran Squad

The victory meant so much, St. Maries quarterback Jason Holdahl struggled to put the feeling into words following the Lumberjacks’ 14-6 decision over Moscow on Friday night.

The win keeps St. Maries a perfect 4-0 in Intermountain League play 8-0 on the season.

The Lumberjacks snapped a six-game win streak by the Bears (3-1, 6-2) and virtually clinched the IML regular-season title for the Lumberjacks.

“We have 15 seniors on this team,” Holdahl said. “We’ve been together four years. We’ve lost to Moscow, lost to Moscow, lost to Moscow. Last year we lost to Moscow 62-0.”

Holdahl’s second-half passing and two key defensive plays by sophomore defensive back D.J. Eberlin, rallied St. Maries.

Moscow led 6-0 at halftime, after junior running back Thomas Dirden shook a tackle behind the line and bolted 82 yards for a touchdown with 3:03 left in the second quarter.

Holdahl engineered a 13-play, 79-yard TD drive late in the third quarter. He hit 5 of 7 passes, including a key 15-yarder to Eberlin on a third-and-three call from the Bears’ 25. Three downs later, senior running back Jason Hall followed the lead block of Derik Rimel into the end zone from the two. Exchange student Mads Thrane’s PAT kick left the Lumberjacks ahead 7-6 with 10:43 to go in the game.

Moscow fumbled the ensuing kickoff trying to run a reverse, and Eberlin recovered on the Bears’ 13.

Holdahl hooked up with senior tight end Andy Gibson two plays later on a four-yard TD pass. Thrane’s kick made it 14-6 at 9:57.

The Bears managed to get off just two plays on their next series before Eberlin intercepted.

“I knew it was going to be a defensive game,” Moscow coach Eric Bjorkman said. “I said earlier in the week, the team that plays the best on defense will win. I thought St. Maries played outstanding on defense.

“They took advantage of the breaks when they got them,” Bjorkman added. “You don’t get that many chances to make big plays in this kind of game.”

St. Maries outgained the Bears 325-245.

Hall led the Lumberjacks’ ground game with 151 yards rushing on 31 carries. Holdahl completed 13 of 29 passes for 162 yards. He was of 19 in the second half.

Dirden finished with 167 of Moscow’s 245 yards rushing.

“All we had to do was play catch, run the right routes and hit the receivers,” St. Maries coach Curt Carr said. “It was a tough game. I’m really proud of the seniors.”

The Lumberjacks play host to Bonners Ferry next Friday in their final IML game. Moscow travels to Lakeland.

St. Maries 14, Moscow 6

St. Maries 0 0 0 14 - 14

Moscow 0 6 0 0 - 6

M-Dirden 82 run (kick fails)

SM-Hall 2 run (Thrane kick)

SM-Gibson 4 pass from Holdahl (Thrane kick)