Post Falls Gives Eagle A Test Before Losing Victorious Mustangs Come Away With Favorable Impression Of Trojans

The Post Falls Trojans knew they’d be outsized and outmanned Friday in the first round of the State A-1 Division II football playoffs.

But they gave Eagle, last year’s state runner-up, a run for its money and impressed the Mustangs in a season-ending 28-14 defeat.

Eagle halfback Donny Heck ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns, but the Trojans gave up only four plays of more than 10 yards to other Mustangs as they kept the game close into the fourth quarter.

Post Falls ends its season at 3-5-1. Eagle (9-1) will play host to Lake City (7-2) in a semifinal Friday. Lake City advanced with a 36-6 win over Caldwell in Coeur d’Alene.

The Trojans dominated play in the first half with a 3-to-1 advantage in time of possession.

“On paper there’s no way we should even be in that football game,” Post Falls coach Jeff Choate said.

Eagle had no such problem scoring. Heck busted through the Post Falls defense for a 55-yard TD run early in the second quarter, and Eagle quarterback Brad Allen scored on a dive from the 1-yard line 8 minutes later to put the Mustangs ahead 13-0 at halftime.

“We gave up the big play,” Choate said. “If the bad bounces go our way …”

A couple of them did. Early in the first quarter, Jeff Hughes recovered an Eagle fumble on a muffed punt return. And in the second quarter Luke Smith picked off a Mustangs pass to give his team the ball at the 43.

But the Post Falls offense, which was able to scratch out 135 yards, sputtered.

Still, the Trojans’ opponents were impressed.

“They gave us more than I thought we’d get from them to be honest,” said Eagle coach Mike Glenn, whose team fell to Sandpoint 24-21 in the state title game last year.

Post Falls closed the gap to six points when Eli Thornley picked off a middle screen and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown, making Eagle’s advantage 13-7.

“It was just a lucky interception,” said Thornley, who fell down before getting up and making the interception. “He must have not seen me.”

Eagle extended its lead to 28-7 on a 5-yard run by Heck and a 39-yard pass from Allen to Sherm Blaser. But Post Falls, which went 3-1 in its final four regular-season games to gear up for the playoffs, struck back in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Doug Malar, who rushed for 75 yards on 28 carries.

Taking the ball with 2:01 left, though, Eagle ran out the clock.

“We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Choate said.

Eagle 28, Post Falls 14

Post Falls 0 0 7 7 - 14

Eagle 0 13 8 7 - 28

E-Heck 55 run (Minert kick) E-B. Allen 1 run (kick failed) P-Thornley 17 interception return (Chestnut kick) E-Heck 5 run (Heck run) E-Blaser 39 pass from B. Allen (Minert kick) P-Malar 2 run (Chestnut kick)