And The Beat Goes On Lake City Rings Up 42-21 Decision Over Moscow

Never before in Lake City football coach Van Troxel’s 23-year coaching career - or during his high school playing days at Moscow - had his teams opened the season with six consecutive wins.

Troxel told the Timberwolves about their latest feat seconds after the ringing in their locker room had subsided.

LC’s players celebrate each win by pounding their fists on their lockers for every point scored. That postgame ritual took longer than usual Friday after the Timberwolves’ 42-21 win over Moscow in a Border/Inland Empire League game.

For a second straight week, LC had to rebound from a slow start.

“They’re driving me nuts sometimes, but they’re troopers,” Troxel said.

LC moved to 3-0 in the IEL with just one game remaining - at Post Falls in two weeks. The T-Wolves didn’t clinch a playoff berth, but they appear postseason-bound in most scenarios.

It took LC until the fourth quarter last week against Coeur d’Alene to seize control. Friday, the T-Wolves grabbed momentum on the last play of the first half.

LC quarterback Jake Freeman rolled right and tossed an 18-yard pass to Pete Hamill, who slipped between defenders in the end zone for the touchdown reception as the clock expired. Josh Vogan ran for the 2-point conversion and the T-Wolves knotted it at 14 going into intermission.

The play culminated a drive that began at LC’s 44-yard line with 2:18 remaining. Freeman, who completed four passes before hitting Hamill, released the TD pass just before stepping across the line of scrimmage.

LC added four TDs in the second half - two in each quarter - to pull away.

The T-Wolves defense actually allowed just one TD. Moscow scored on two LC fumbles - the first setting up the Bears at LC’s 5 midway in the first quarter.

LC’s defense took command in the second half. Junior defensive end Jesse Brodin was in the middle of it, recovering two fumbles, coupled with a key tackle on a fake punt attempt and a sack.

“The defense overall played very well,” Troxel said.

LC followed up the tying TD just before halftime with a four-play scoring series to start the second half. The play that set up Freeman’s 2-yard scoring run was a 35-yard halfback pass from Doug Blaty to Hamill.

Moscow scored on LC’s second fumble late in the third quarter. Quarterback Trent Baysinger dashed 10 yards on a bootleg as the Bears tied the score at 21 with 2:49 let in the period.

With a minute left in the quarter, Brodin got the first of two fumble recoveries. That set up LC at Moscow’s 19. Two plays later, LC secured the lead for good when Blaty plunged 1 yard into the end zone.

Facing fourth-and-10 from its 20, Moscow tried a fake punt. But Baysinger, Moscow’s punter, was stopped a yard short when Brodin forced him out of bounds.

LC scored on its first play when Blaty darted 29 yards on a quick dive, extending the T-Wolves’ lead to 35-21 with 11:53 left.

Blaty finished with a team-high 94 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Moscow slipped to 1-5 overall, 1-4 in the Border and 0-3 in the IEL.

LC takes on its final Washington Border opponent next Friday when it plays host to Clarkston.