Lewiston captures IEL title

The Lewiston High football team made more plays when it counted most Friday.

The Bengals’ defense stopped Lake City at the Lewiston 2-yard line and turned around to drive the distance for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter as visiting Lewiston captured the 5A Inland Empire League championship 28-21.

The second-ranked Bengals (9-0, 3-0 IEL) play host to Idaho Falls (5-4) in a playoff opener Friday. Lake City (4-5, 2-1) is at Highland (7-2) of Pocatello the same night.

“It was two good football teams,” LC coach Van Troxel said. “We had too many turnovers. The turnover margin was in their favor. We had opportunities and we’ve got to capitalize on opportunities. If you don’t capitalize on opportunities you end up on the short end.”

Leading 21-20, the Timberwolves began to put together what would appear to be a drive to put the game away early in the fourth quarter.

The T-Wolves had four straight running plays that went for double-digit yards. A 16-yard run by Justin Bryant gave LC first down at Lewiston’s 12.

Three plays later, LC had first-and-goal at the 1-foot mark. But the Bengals’ defense stuffed fullback Jared Heston on first down. On second down, LC was called for illegal procedure. Two plays later, quarterback Adam Fenenbock kept the ball on an option for a 3-yard gain to make it fourth down at the Lewiston 2-yard line.

Lewiston linebacker Kyler Nilsson tackled Bryant for a 3-yard loss on fourth down, giving the Bengals the ball at the 5 with 7:57 to go.

Bengals receiver Ridge Fuentes broke three tackles on the next play, a swing pass from quarterback Justin Podrabsky that moved Lewiston out of the shadow of its end zone to its 49. Five plays later, Podrabsky rolled to his left and threw back to a wide-open Nilsson on a delay route for an 8-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion provided the final margin with 4:53 remaining.

Ryan Young came up with the next big defensive play for Lewiston, picking off a pass that went through the hands of LC receiver Julian Burgess at the T-Wolves’ 45 with 3:21 to go.

Lewiston running back Joey Walton fumbled moments later and Billy Sanders recovered for LC, giving the T-Wolves a final chance with 1:42 left. But three straight incomplete passes and a sack by Nilsson on fourth down sealed the win.

“You don’t know how sweet this is,” Young said. “League champs. Hopefully, everybody knows that we’re serious now. Our first goal was the league title. The next step is each playoff game and eventually a state title.”

Young got Lewiston out quickly on the game’s first play. Podrabsky froze LC’s secondary for a moment, giving the speedy Young plenty of time to fake and get behind the defenders. Podrabsky put the ball on Young’s hands and Young did the rest to finish off the 86-yard TD.

LC appeared as if it would bounce back on its first series, moving to the Lewiston 28. That’s where Fenenbock, back in shotgun formation, fumbled a high snap that Young recovered.

Lewiston took advantage, marching 66 yards in 10 plays, capped by an 18-yard TD pass from Podrabsky to Devon Brown. A two-point conversion gave the Bengals a 14-0 lead with 1:24 left in the first quarter.

LC fought back. Tanner Schalk finished off a 10-play drive with a 7-yard touchdown run.

On its final possession of the first half, LC pulled even when Fenenbock hit Billy Sanders in the end zone on a 5-yard pass with 33 seconds to go before halftime.

LC took the lead at 21-14 in the third quarter when Fenenbock connected from 8 yards out with receiver Tanner Sanders.

Lewiston’s defense took over from that point, and the Bengals scored the final two TDs.

“We didn’t execute down at the goal line,” Heston said. “That hurt us a bunch. We need to execute and get it done next week.”

Troxel praised Lewiston.

“You’ve got to give Lewiston credit,” he said. “They’re a good football team. They made plays when they had to. It was like last week, we made plays when we had to.”

Lewiston coach Emmett Dougherty called the victory the best in his 10 years as head coach. It was the Bengals’ first win at LC since 1995.

“This is probably the best victory I’ve been involved with at Lewiston,” Dougherty said. “It was a great football game. We had to come back to win.”