Bears shock LC

Ever since playing against the Lake City Timberwolves at summer camp, Central Valley utility senior Connor Janhunen knew the Bears had a chance against the defending 5A state champions from Coeur d’Alene.

Janhunen played out the game Friday just as he dreamed about it four months ago. He kicked what would prove to be the game-winning field goal and intercepted a pass shortly thereafter as visiting Central Valley upset No. 1-ranked Lake City 27-26, spoiling the Timberwolves’ homecoming and snapping a 17-game winning streak in a non-league game.

“We just said all week that we’ve got to believe,” Janhunen said. “We went head to head at (the University of) Idaho camp. They were our rivalry over there and we knew we had a chance at them. We just said that if we believe we’ve got it. It sure helped things that we believed.”

Janhunen’s 37-yard field goal with 6:09 remaining had plenty of distance, and his interception came 1:28 later.

CV had to hold LC (5-1) one more time before the Bears and their fans celebrated.

To Janhunen, the win proves to him that CV (5-1) is a playoff-caliber team.

“We knew this was going to test our playoff ability,” Janhunen said.

The victory was especially satisfying considering the Bears were manhandled a year ago at home by LC (55-14).

“It’s a sweet victory – sweet,” CV coach Rick Giampietri said. “That’s a quality program. (LC) coach (Van) Troxel is just amazing what he does with his work ethic and his kids’ work ethic. And this is just a huge step for our kids.”

It was tightly contested throughout. Although both teams made many mistakes, the relentless and physical effort by both teams was evident.

The lead changed hands five times. LC took its final lead 24 seconds into the fourth quarter when quarterback Tommy Anderson connected with Christian Hanna on a 35-yard post in the end zone. The point-after kick was blocked by the middle of the Bears’ line – the second blocked extra-point try by CV.

Janhunen, who made a 27-yard field goal in the first half to go with a 20-yard TD reception from Blake Bledsoe, would get the chance at the winning kick on CV’s next possession. The Bears drove to LC’s 20-yard line where the T-Wolves’ defense stiffened. CV was held to no yards on two runs sandwiched around an incomplete pass, setting the stage for Janhunen, who booted the ball crisply from the right hashmark.

CV lost three fumbles and LC had three interceptions in the first half. The T-Wolves finished with four interceptions and two key fumbles.

With just less than 3 minutes until halftime, Anderson was lumbering toward the end zone for an apparent TD when he fumbled a foot from the goal line. CV recovered the ball for a touchback.

LC led 13-10 at halftime.

The T-Wolves’ second critical fumble came when they were pinned at their 6. Taylor Price, blitzing from his linebacker position, hit Anderson as he was trying to get out of the end zone to avoid a safety. Price recovered for a TD that gave CV a 24-17 lead with 3:45 to go in the third quarter.

Price had just scored on a 2-yard run that pulled the Bears within 20-17. On the kickoff, LC’s Kyle Graves watched helplessly as the ball bounded off his hands. He recovered near the end zone but could only advance to the 6.

“We made a lot of mistakes, but first of all you have to give them (the Bears) a lot of credit,” Troxel said. “They played very, very hard (and) they ran the ball well. They executed well. That’s a good football team there. That’s what I tried to tell a lot of people all week long. There are no cupcakes. They didn’t like last year.

“It was a very good game. It was very entertaining. We just had too many mistakes. This is an opportunity for us to get better. It’s not the end of the world. A good football team won the game and a good football team lost the game.”