Bulldogs stymie Vikings
Neither Sandpoint nor Coeur d’Alene will spend much time evaluating the offensive execution or lack thereof Friday in their Inland Empire League football opener.
Rain-drenched Viking Field presented miserable footing for both teams. The defense, as far as Sandpoint is concerned, was splendid.
Sandpoint shut out a Coeur d’Alene team featuring arguably its most versatile offense in eight years.
The Bulldogs coupled their stingy defense with a school-record touchdown scamper and a momentum-clinching kickoff return to open the second half as Sandpoint blanked the Vikings 17-0.
Both teams were coming off byes after 2-0 starts. It was Sandpoint’s second shutout. The Bulldogs have allowed one touchdown in 12 quarters.
“Their defensive linemen – that’s what it came down to,” CdA coach Shawn Amos said. “We didn’t play very well obviously. But we don’t have any excuses. It was a defensive battle. Our defense played well, too, but we didn’t give it any help.”
Sandpoint’s defensive front four of Sean Lissy, Chad Denny, Andrew Taylor and Andrew Anderson along with linebackers Brian Resso, Mike Brown and Andrew Meaux stuffed CdA’s offense in general and rushing attack in specific. The Vikings finished with 90 yards total offense – 63 of which came on the ground via 31 rushes.
“In weather like this, (defense) is what you need to depend on,” said first-year Sandpoint coach Sean Dorris, a CdA High graduate who made a happy return home. “It wasn’t a pretty game on offense. Tons of penalties on both sides of the ball, but winning ugly is better than losing pretty so we’ll take it.”
After a scoreless first quarter, CdA pinned Sandpoint deep at its 3-yard line on a nicely angled punt by quarterback Max Lyons.
Seconds later, Sandpoint tailback Dan Parrish went up the middle and appeared stalled at the 10. But he somehow pulled out of the grasp of a Viking, spun away to his right and dashed the final 90 yards to the end zone to put the Bulldogs ahead 7-0 with 8:28 remaining before halftime.
Parrish’s run broke a 27-year-old school record for the longest TD run. Larry Vig scored on a 96-yard run against Lewiston in 1977.
On CdA’s next series, the Viks fumbled at their 39.
The Viks’ defense stiffened after Sandpoint picked up a first-and-goal at the 9. After a time out with :34 showing on the clock, the Bulldogs figured they could run one more play. But the Viks swarmed Parrish on a pitch left at the 2, forcing a 1-yard loss.
The Bulldogs let the clock run down before calling a timeout to set up a field goal attempt. Blake Mahler’s 21-yard kick from the left hash was good, giving Sandpoint a 10-0 lead at intermission.
Then the play that thwarted any hopes of a CdA comeback occurred on the opening kick of the second half. Mahler received the kick at his 10 and broke a couple of tackles up the left sideline before cutting back near midfield and winning a sprint to the end zone thereafter.
With just 23 seconds elapsed that accounted for all the scoring. CdA wouldn’t threaten thereafter, and Sandpoint did nothing but run the ball to keep the clock moving.
Parrish, who also had an interception and a pair of tackles as a two-way starter at safety, finished with 188 yards rushing on 23 carries. That was the bulk of Sandpoint’s offense.
“Hopefully it’s a wakeup call,” said Amos, whose team travels to Meridian in the Boise area for a non-league game next Friday. “Sometimes these things are good. Maybe it’ll wake us up and make us realize we still have a lot of work to do.”