| Pirates
come up short at Potlatch
There was less than a foot standing between a possible winning season and a losing season for the Prairie football team as they lost 36-38 at Potlatch Friday, Oct. 26. Prairie had led by 14 points at halftime but saw Potlatch score 22 straight points in the second half to take an 8 point lead. 
Prairie rallied to score a touchdown with just 2 seconds left on the clock but the 2-point conversion try by Marcus Higgins was stopped less than a foot from the goal line. A successful conversion would’ve sent the game into overtime. The game started out like it was going to be one of those 75-70 type games as both teams showed quick-strike capabilities. Prairie by the pass and Potlatch by the run. On Prairie’s third play from scrimmage quarterback Jake Bruner connected with Higgins down the left side for an 80 yard scoring play. Bruner ran in the 2-pointer to make it 8-0. Potlatch got a 22 yard kickoff return and set up at their 43. After picking up a first down at the Prairie 46, 222 lb. running back Blake Andres burst through for a 46 yard scoring play. Drew Magallon added the 2-pointer to tie the game. Potlatch’s kickoff went out of bounds so Prairie started at the 35. A facemask penalty on the first play moved the ball to the 50. On the next play Bruner again connected with Higgins for a 50 yard scoring play. Bruner then passed to Seth Chaffee for the 2-pointer to make it 16-8. Potlatch need just 2 plays to answer back with Magallon going 57 yards for the touchdown and Andres adding the 2-pointer this time. Prairie needed 3 plays to score another touchdown and this time it was all running plays. Garrett Schmidt picked up 18 yards on a run to the right side and 32 yards on a run to the left side. Hunter McWilliams then covered the final 18 yards on a sweep around left end. The 2-point try was stopped this time but Prairie led 22-16. At this point the defenses decided to show up as Prairie forced Potlatch to punt. Potlatch’s defense went to a hard pass rush and was able to sack Bruner for big losses on consecutive plays. Potlatch then blocked the punt and recovered at the Prairie 15. Prairie dodged a bullet there as Andres fumbled with Chaffee recovering at the 16. Prairie put together a long scoring drive that lasted 14 plays. On the fifth play of the drive Bruner connected with Schmidt for 12 yards and a first down on a screen pass but was hit after throwing the ball and wound up breaking his collarbone. That forced Higgins back to quarterback. On the next play McWilliams juked and jived his way to a huge gain but got to keep 32 yards of it as an illegal block at that point called the rest of it back and left Prairie with a net gain of 22 yards and a first down at the Potlatch 38. Lucas Arnzen picked up 18 on the next play to set the Pirates up at the 20. 4 straight runs later Prairie had a first and goal at the 9. McWilliams gained 1 on first down and then Higgins threw his first pass of the drive and connected with Schmidt in the end zone. Schmidt ran in the 2-point to give Prairie a 30-16 lead.  Potlatch
answered right back with a long drive of their own that ate up most of
the final 6:40 of the half.
The Loggers had a first and goal at the 5 yard line but the Prairie defense toughened up and forced the Loggers to turn the ball over on downs inside the 1. Prairie then ran out the final few seconds of the half. Potlatch received the second half kickoff and Magallon was able to break loose for 56 yards on their third play. The 2-point try failed and Prairie still led by 8 at 30-22. The Loggers tried an onside kick but Schmidt recovered for Prairie at the 40. Higgins was sacked for a big loss on first down and Prairie had to punt. Potlatch took over at the Prairie 41 after a short punt and needed just 4 plays to score. The touchdown came on the Loggers’ only pass completion of the game and Magallon’s 2-point run tied the score at 30. Prairie was forced to punt on their next possession and the punt was blocked again with the Loggers taking over at the Prairie 35. The Loggers moved down to the 11 but fumbled the ball away with Chaffee recovering his second fumble of the game. Prairie gave the ball right back 2 plays later on a fumble but Potlatch was stymied again as Higgins intercepted and was called down inside the 1 yard line although it appeared the momentum of the catch took him into the end zone. Prairie was able to move the ball out to the 17 but then was forced to punt again. This time Potlatch was able to capitalize with Magallon scoring on a 34 yard run to give the Loggers their first lead of the game at 30-38 after Andres added the 2-pointer. On Prairie’s ensuing possession Higgins connected with Chaffee for what appeared to be a 60+ yard gain that would’ve given Prairie a first and goal but it got called back on a holding penalty and Prairie wound up having to punt. Potlatch appeared headed for an insurance score as they had a first and goal at the 3. A holding penalty and a couple of tackles for loss pushed them back to the 21. 
A reverse run by Ronnie Miller put the ball at the 2 but Andres fumbled into the end zone on the next play. After a scramble for the ball Schmidt was able to come up with it for the Pirates for a touchback. On the second play from the 20 after an incomplete pass, Higgins broke loose for 35 yards on an option run. Two plays later he was sacked for a 10 yard loss but a personal foul penalty against Potlatch on the next play gave Prairie a first down at the Logger 34. After a 2 yard loss on a run and 2 incomplete passes, Prairie was facing a do or die fourth down play from the 36 with less than 10 seconds on the clock. Higgins then completed a deep pass to Chaffee who scored the touchdown with just 2 seconds left to play. Prairie needed the 2-pointer to tie the game and tried the option with Higgins keeping. He got within a foot of the goal line before being stopped. Prairie tried an onside kick but Potlatch recovered and then ran out the clock. Prairie picked up 126 yards rushing with Schmidt gaining 71 yards on 8 carries and McWilliams 56 on 11 carries. Bruner completed 4 of 5 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. Higgins complete 4 of 10 attempts for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns. Higgins caught 2 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. Chaffee caught 2 for 42 yards and a touchdown. Schmidt caught 3 for 23 yards and a touchdown and Arnzen caught 1 pass for no gain. Potlatch had 375 yards rushing led by Magallon who had 18 carries for 245 yards. Potlatch passers were 1 for 3 for 15 yards and 1 interception. With the loss Prairie ends the season at 4-5 overall and 2-4 in league play. It is their first losing season in 7 years. Prairie 22 8 0 6 -36 Potlatch 16 0 14 8 -38 Pr.-Higgins 80 pass from Bruner (Bruner run) 10:18 1st Po.-Andres 46 run (Magallon run) 8:23 1st Pr.-Higgins 50 pass from Bruner (Chaffee pass from Bruner) 7:48 1st Po.-Magallon 57 run (Andres run) 6:49 1st Pr.-H. McWilliams 18 run (run failed) 5:39 1st Pr.-Schmidt 8 pass from Higgins (Schmidt run) 6:46 2nd Po.-Magallon 56 run (run failed) 10:32 3rd Po.-Burkgart 15 pass from D. Amos (Magallon run) 7:43 3rd Po.-Magallon 34 run (Andres run) 8:56 4th Pr.-Chaffee 36 pass from Higgins (run failed) 0:02 4th PIRATES BOYS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR 2012 17-Kendrick, there, won 76-34 21-Lapwai, here, Homecoming, won 58-42 28-C.V., there, moved to Cottonwood due to smoke at Kooskia, won 58-12 12-Lakeside, here, won 46-0 19-Troy, here, lost 16-54 26-Potlatch, there, lost 36-38 PIRATES BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE FOR 2012-13 *indicates league game 30-Nezperce, here 8-Genesee, there* 13-Lapwai, here* 14-Grangeville, there, Idaho County Shootout 20-Potlatch, there* 27-Lapwai Tournament, TBA 28-Lapwai Tournament, TBA 29-Lapwai Tournament, TBA 10-Kamiah, here* 12-Potlatch, here* 18-Troy, here* 24-Genesee, here* 25-Lapwai, there* 28-C.V., there* 5-Kamiah, there* 6-Nezperce, there 12, 18, 19, 21 & 22-District at LCSC 23-State Play-in game at St. Maries, 6 p.m. Feb. 28, March 1-2-State at Caldwell PIRATES WRESTLING SCHEDULE FOR 2012-13 DECEMBER 7 & 8-Potlatch Tournament, TBA 11-Grangeville, there, 6 p.m. 18-CIL/WPL, here, 6 p.m. 29-Pomeroy Tournament 8-CIL/WPL, here, 6 p.m. 11 & 12-Orofino Invitational, TBA 15-Potlatch, there, 6 p.m. 18 & 19-McCall Tournament, TBA 22-C.V., there, 6 p.m. 25 & 26-New Plymouth Tourn. TBA 29-Grangeville, there, 6 p.m. 15 & 16-Districts, here 22 & 23-State at Pocatello |
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