Hawks rush into state
Lakeland looked like a champion when it mattered most Friday night.
Shawn Hiebert scored three touchdowns, and Lakeland scored 31 unanswered points after trailing early in a 31-6 rout of Moscow in an Inland Empire League football game at Corbit Field.
The Hawks (6-3, 2-0) clinched a state playoff berth with the victory and also captured the IEL 4A title. They will be hosts to Kuna in their state opener. Kuna defeated Mountain Home 46-27 to earn their trip.
Moscow led 6-3 at halftime, but Lakeland turned three Bears turnovers into three touchdowns in the second half to take control.
“It feels amazing,” Hiebert said of Lakeland’s state berth. “This is the first time in a long time at Lakeland. We’re in the record books now.”
Hiebert scored two touchdowns in a 4 1/2-minute span in the third quarter to turn Lakeland’s three-point deficit into a 17-6 lead. Both scores followed Moscow turnovers, one a fumble at the Bears’ 27-yard-line and the other an interception at the Moscow 31.
“The turnovers,” Hiebert said, “were definitely a momentum change and helped us.”
Moscow (3-6, 0-2) drove 80 yards in nine plays on its opening possession, capped by Dan Mosman’s 37-yard touchdown burst for a 6-0 lead with 6 1/2 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Bears dominated the opening quarter and outgained Lakeland 140-9 through 12 minutes.
That advantage didn’t exist long after halftime, however.
Lakeland’s defense took over and forced four turnovers in the second half, including three interceptions of Moscow quarterback Zach Hull, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 124 yards.
“Our defense has been doing that all year,” Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said. “There have been lots of games where they’ve kept us in it. The kids are playing really hard and executing well.”
Hiebert led the Hawks with 110 yards on 16 carries, and Scott Carr contributed with 85 rushing yards and one of his team’s interceptions. Lakeland’s Kyle McCrite reeled off a 51-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes left to cap the game’s scoring.
“We have to pick it up,” Carr said of the week ahead as the team prepares for the first round of playoffs. “It gets a lot tougher from now on.”