Lewiston Contingent Dominant District Ii Stars Blow Past District I

A spectacular rain and wind storm threatened to cancel the District I-District II all-star football game for graduating seniors Saturday afternoon.

But it was apparently the calm before the real storm as District II blew past District I 35-14 in the 13th annual all-star game at Viking Field.

District II, representing players from north central Idaho (Moscow-Lewiston areas), scored four consecutive touchdowns after District I (the five northern counties region) opened the game with what would prove to be its most impressive offensive series.

Sandpoint quarterback Brett Taylor capped a six-play drive when he connected with St. Maries’ Jeremy Craner on a 21-yard pass. District I used trickery on the point-after attempt as Adam Hiatt of Bonners Ferry, lined up to kick, took a pitch from the holder and lobbed a pass to Sandpoint’s Gerrad Campbell for a two-point conversion.

That seemed to get the District II players’ attention. At least it woke up Lewiston quarterback Brad Rice.

“We came out kind of weak; nobody seemed to have any fire,” Rice said. “When we got rolling I knew we were going to have a good day.”

It was a defensive play, though, that turned up the intensity for District II.

Moscow defensive back Chad Curtis intercepted a Taylor pass at the District I 44-yard line and returned it practically untouched for a touchdown. The two-point attempt failed.

With Lewiston coach Nick Menegas calling the offensive plays for District II, the scheme had a Bengals flavor.

That’s largely because of the versatile Rice.

On the first play of District II’s next series, Rice took the snap on a sweep right and ran past two blockers and outsprinted the District I secondary on a 93-yard scamper. Rice’s Lewiston teammate Laki Ah Hi bulled over for the two-point conversion and District II led 14-8 with 10:16 left in the first half.

The blowout was just starting.

District II added two more touchdowns before intermission - one coming on a 1-yard dive by Ah Hi and the final score on a 13-yard pass from Rice to Grangeville’s Nate Hogg. District II led 29-8 at halftime.

The teams traded touchdowns in the second half.

Rice was the unanimous most valuable player of the game, finishing with 164 yards rushing on 14 attempts and passing for 51 yards and one touchdown. Ah Hi had 63 yards rushing and Deary’s Joe Workman had 101, 80 coming on a touchdown run.

“Did that look familiar? Did it have a Lewiston flair to it?” asked a smiling Menegas. “It was a great couple of weeks getting ready to play. We definitely took advantage of Brad’s (Rice) athleticism and put in a lot of our offense.”

Menegas pointed out that it was a double-win day for District II. The District II coaches beat the District I coaches in a scramble golf tournament in the morning.

Post Falls’ Jerry Lee coached in his final prep game - at least for now. Lee resigned so he could follow his son, Austin, at Stanford.

Neither Austin nor standout Sandpoint running back Jeremy Thielbahr played, because of injuries.

“We couldn’t move the ball and we couldn’t stop Rice,” Lee said. “But a lot of teams seemed to have that trouble against Lewiston (last fall). But we hung in there and played hard to the end.”

District II leads the series 7-6.

District II 35, District I 14

District II 6 23 0 6 - 35

District I 8 0 0 6 - 14

DI-Craner 21 pass from Taylor (Campbell pass from Hiatt)

DII-Curtis 44 interception return (run failed)

DII-Rice 93 run (Ah Hi run)

DII-Ah Hi 1 run (Rice run)

DII-Hogg 13 pass from Rice (Miller kick)

DII-Workman 80 run (kick failed)

DI-McElroy 30 run (pass failed)

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color photos