Yankoff’s big game not enough as Coeur d’Alene Vikings fall to Eagle

EAGLE, Idaho – Cole Yankoff was spectacular, but the Eagle Mustangs’ three-phase effort was just a little bit better Friday night.

Senior tailback Jonas Loyens ran for 246 yards and quarterback Slayter Jeffries added 148 yards and four touchdowns as Eagle (10-0) kept its perfect season alive with a thrilling 48-39 victory Friday night.

Yankoff, an Oregon commit, threw for 405 yards and a touchdown while adding 111 yards and five TDs on the ground, capping a remarkable junior season. But two turnovers and two blocked kicks came back to haunt the Vikings (6-4).

“Eagle is a great team, and it was a pleasure to play against them,” said Yankoff, who completed 40 of 49 passes with no interceptions. “I wish it would have ended differently, but I’m proud of my guys.”

The teams combined for more than 1,200 yards of offense, with Eagle outgaining CDA 654-560. But it was timely plays on defense and special teams that made the difference, as the Mustangs blocked two crucial extra points and recovered a Vikings fumble near the Eagle goal line with less than 3 minutes left.

“It was a back-and-forth battle,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said. “We made some mistakes, but I’m proud of our kids and the way they kept fighting back against a heck of a football team.”

Coeur d’Alene opened the game with a surgical drive, using its no-huddle, pass-heavy attack to knock Eagle back on its heels. Yankoff finished the drive with a 1-yard leap over the pile for a 7-0 lead.

Eagle tied things up midway through the quarter, with Jeffries firing a 35-yard bomb to Cole Christensen and scampering in three plays later from the 1.

The Mustangs continued to roll on offense, taking advantage of Coeur d’Alene miscues to build a lead. After penalties crippled the Vikings’ next drive, Eagle’s Devan Bridgewater threw a 22-yard TD strike to Christensen for a 14-7 lead.

The next Coeur d’Alene possession ended with a fumble at the Vikings 41. And Eagle quickly cashed in, with Jeffries plowing in for another 1-yard score and a 21-7 advantage.

Momentum continued to build for the Mustangs, who denied the Vikings on a fourth-and-4 attempt deep in Eagle territory. A big run by Loyens quickly moved the ball across midfield, and Jeffries capped the drive with another 1-yard plunge to make it 28-7.

Just when Eagle appeared poised to blow things open, the Vikings rediscovered their offensive mojo. Yankoff scampered in from the 1 with 1:57 remaining and, after an Eagle punt, Yankoff scored again with 4 seconds remaining. The Vikings had their PAT blocked after their second TD, however, and a 2-point conversion run failed on the third, giving Eagle a 28-19 cushion at the half.

“That’s why we work so hard to prepare and try to find that one little thing that might make a difference in games like these,” Eagle coach Paul Peterson said. “The blocked extra points changed the strategy of the game.”

The track meet continued after halftime, with Coeur d’Alene cashing in an early fumble to trim the lead to 28-26 on another Yankoff run.

Loyens busted through the line for a 53-yard TD on the next drive to make it 34-26. And after a Vikings punt, Bridgewater fired a 48-yard bomb to tight end Kaden Snooks to make it 41-26.

Once again, Yankoff kept Coeur d’Alene alive, finding Brady Lundblad (six catches, 133 yards) on fourth down for a 26-yard score. Jeffries and Yankoff then traded scoring runs, but Eagle’s second blocked PAT kept the margin at 48-39 after Yankoff’s fifth TD run of the night.

Coeur d’Alene was driving again late, but the Vikings lost a fumble while fighting for yardage inside the 10-yard line. Eagle’s prolific rushing attack – which totaled 441 yards – was able to melt the final minutes off the clock.

“Our offensive line was really working hard, and our receivers were making great blocks,” Jeffries said. “Everyone was doing their job, because we knew we had to score a lot of points to beat Coeur d’Alene.”

Joseph Naccarato (seven catches, 54 yards), Jackson Sumner (9-74) and Cole Ramseyer (6-79) joined Lundblad in catching at least six passes for the Vikings, while Yankoff’s big night – which put him over 4,000 total yards and 50 touchdowns on the season – came against a defense that had allowed just 10.6 points and 179 yards per game coming in.

“It’s been a great learning experience,” Yankoff said. “Playing the teams we’ve played has made me a better quarterback, and I’m excited for next season.”