Bulldogs sound off

SANDPOINT – About the only thing that went wrong in Sandpoint’s victory over Hillcrest of Idaho Falls on Saturday afternoon came after the game.

There was a delay in the ringing of the victory bell located at the south end of Barlow Stadium. Sandpoint wide receiver Mike Hubbard eventually climbed his way to the top of the tall poll where the bell sits to get it to ring properly.

“We better work on that,” Sandpoint coach Mike Mitchell said after his team put together a strong defensive performance to beat top-ranked Hillcrest 20-8 in the 4A state semifinal. “They need to put a rope on that so kids don’t have to crawl up quite so high, but … we got to it finally.”

The victory puts Sandpoint (9-2) in its first state championship game since 2003, when the Bulldogs lost 15-13 to Century of Pocatello in Holt Arena. This time around, Sandpoint will face Blackfoot (10-1) for the state title Friday at 7 p.m. in the Kibbie Dome.

“Our (defensive) line stepped up huge,” said junior free safety Eric Nikssarian, who was lauded by coaches for his play after the game. “They were taking out blockers everywhere. I think it was just due to great coaching and a great game plan. We came prepared. We were ready for these guys.”

Hillcrest entered the contest averaging 385 yards per game on the ground, but Sandpoint’s defense, which has posted three shutouts during a six-game win streak, held the Knights to 200 yards rushing in sloppy conditions.

“They have a very good defense,” Hillcrest head coach Darin Owens said. “The field played a little bit of a factor, but the bottom line is they are a good football team.”

Sandpoint took a 7-0 lead on its first possession. Cody Hecker capped off the six-play drive with a 35-yard run that saw the senior running back hurdle a Hillcrest defender at the 20-yard line before crossing the goal line.

It was the first of two scores for Hecker, who added a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter and finished with 90 yards on 10 carries. Daniel Anderson also added two short field goals for the Bulldogs in the second quarter.

“It all starts right up front,” said Hecker, who is garnering interest from Idaho, Idaho State and Boise State. “Those lineman, they work their butts off. My first touchdown of the night, one guy touched me. The second touchdown, no one touched me. That’s how good our offensive line is.”