Mullan Earns Top Nsl Seed
Lakeside didn’t have to contend with Mullan free safety David Reed two weeks ago when the Knights spoiled the Tigers’ homecoming with a 34-22 football victory.
Reed was nursing a shoulder injury and was limited to offense.
But the senior was a two-way terror in Monday night’s modified-Kansas tie-breaker that settled the North Star League’s two eight-man state seeds at Viking Field.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Reed scored on a 12-yard sweep, then tacked on two points on a conversion pass from quarterback Dan Fritz for an 8-0 Mullan lead.
On Lakeside’s ensuing possession, Reed’s interception ended things.
The 8-0 victory sends Mullan (7-1) into the State A-4 playoffs Saturday in Moscow at the Kibbie Dome as the NSL’s No. 1 seed. Lakeside (8-1) is No. 2. Both were 7-1 in league.
Lakeside draws Deary (8-0) at 1 p.m., followed by Mullan vs. Council (8-1) at 3.
The modified-Kansas tie-breaker gave each team four possessions to score, starting from the 40-yard line, then moving 10 yards closer on each ensuing series. First downs could be converted.
Reed’s TD came on the Tigers’ third possession, which started at the 20-yard line. Then Lakeside sophomore quarterback Ken Pluff went to the air on first-and-10 from the 20, only to watch Reed intercept a wobbly pass near the right sideline.
“It looked like about 20 seconds before the (ball) even got down,” a bloodied Reed said of the pickoff.
Reed’s interception was the second Lakeside turnover. Pluff had fumbled a shovel pass that Fritz recovered on its first down from the 40.
“The first-down play, the shovel pass, there was nobody around; he was open for 30 yards,” Knights coach Ron Miller said.
But the Tigers stopped the ensuing series on fourth-and-7 from the 16. Reed reached the 9-yard line before being tackled by Pluff, but Mullan’s Chris Angle was called for holding.
Lakeside declined the penalty, then went airborne. On second down, Pluff hit sophomore Buck Allen with a pass inside the Tigers’ 10-yard line, but the ball was dropped. Mullan linebacker Dale Stepro nearly intercepted the next pass.
“We were very lucky we didn’t get burned on that pass (to Allen),” Tigers coach John Drager said.
While the top two NSL teams are known, the rest of the league standings are not yet final.
Falls Christian coach Brian Cruess learned Monday the Eagles’ standout running back, Tyson Allen, was a credit short of academic eligibility.
“He was taking a class here that was a non-credit class, and I didn’t pick up on it,” Cruess said.
It appears the Eagles will have to forfeit all games in which Allen played, including four of their five wins. Cruess was contacting NSL officials on Monday.
It also takes the NSL’s rushing title from Allen, who had 1,273 yards and 20 TDs. Allen, a junior, has since left Falls Christian and has enrolled at Post Falls High School, Cruess said.