Pirates pull away in second half for win at Potlatch
The Prairie football team trailed for the first time this season in the second quarter but rallied to take the lead by halftime and dominated the second half for a 64-28 win at Potlatch Friday, Sept. 24.
The game was Potlatch’s first home game with their new field lights and they were a vast improvement over the previous lights.
The game started well for the Pirates as they received the opening kickoff with Brody Hasselstrom returning the kick 19 yards to the Prairie 29.
Two plays netted just 1 yard then quarterback Lane Schumacher connected deep down the left side with Wyatt Ross who took the ball 70 yards for the game’s first touchdown. The 2 point try came up short as Prairie took a 6-0 lead.
Potlatch answered right back with a power running attack that took the ball 72 yards in 8 plays, helped by 20 yards in penalties against the Prairie defense, for a tying touchdown. Tyler Howard covered the final 25 yards for the score. Colton McElroy broke up the 2-point pass attempt to keep the score tied at 6-6.
Hasselstrom got a big kickoff return of 41 yards to set the Pirates up at the Potlatch 49 on the ensuing possession. Tayden Hibbard gained 10 yards on the first play. Schumacher kept the ball for a 33 yard gain to the 6 yard line on the next play. Hasselstrom gained 4 to put the ball at the 2 and then scored on the next play as Prairie took back the lead. Hasselstrom ran in the 2-pointer to make it 14-6.
Potlatch came right back with quarterback Tyson Tucker gaining 19 yards on a scramble to the Prairie 47. Four plays later the Loggers faced fourth and 7 at the 44. Tucker tossed a screen pass to Howard to the right side and Howard went 44 yards for the touchdown. Tucker added the 2-point run to tie the game again at 14-14 with 3:33 left in the first quarter.
After a 10 yard kickoff return by Trenton Lorentz, Prairie started their ensuing possession at their own 44. Schumacher was sacked for a 6 yard loss on first down but 3 plays later, Hasselstrom converted a fourth and 5 with a 13 yard sweep to the right.
Later in the drive a 9 yard keeper by Schumacher set Prairie up with a first and goal at the 10. After 2 plays netted 0 yards, Hibbard ran a sweep to the right for 9 yards and was stopped inside the 1. Schumacher tried a quarterback sneak but was ruled down just short of the end zone, turning the ball over on downs to the Loggers.
In a flashback to the state championship loss to Valley in 2015 at Pocatello, the Loggers took the ball 99+ yards for a go-ahead touchdown. They ran the ball 10 straight times, moving the ball to the Prairie 34. After 2 passes netted 14 yards, it was back to the running game as 2 plays later Tucker went 13 yards for the touchdown. He added the 2-pointer to give the Loggers a 14-22 lead with 5:05 left in the half.
It didn’t take Prairie long to tie the game as they took over at their own 41 after the kickoff. A 14 yard run on second down by Schumacher moved the ball to the Potlatch 44. On the next play Hibbard took the ball into the middle, cut toward the right side and went all the way for the touchdown. Schumacher ran in the 2-pointer to tie the game at 22-22 with 4:13 left in the half.
On Potlatch’s next possession the Pirates finally were able to stop the Loggers offense. Shane Hanson kicked off to the Potlatch 11. A blocking penalty at the 18 during the runback pushed the Loggers back to the 9.
On third and 2 at the 17, Hasselstrom got past his blocker into the backfield where he tackled Howard for a 3 yard loss setting up fourth and 5 at the 14. Potlatch attempted a punt but the punter mishandled the snap and wound up getting tackled at the 13.
A holding penalty on first down pushed Prairie back to the 24. On third down at the 19, Schumacher connected with Hibbard on a screen pass to the left and Hibbard took the ball into the end zone. The 2-point try came up short but Prairie had retaken the lead at 28-22 with 1:24 left in the half.
Potlatch was able to get just across midfield before time ran out in the half.
The Loggers received the second half kickoff and moved the ball to the Prairie 39 where their drive stalled. A penalty set them back to the 44. Ross broke up the third down pass and Hibbard’s pass rush on fourth down forced an incompletion as Prairie took over at their 44.
It took the Pirates just 2 plays to score. Hasselstrom picked up 2 yards and then Hibbard went 54 on the next play when he burst through the middle and cut to the right to outrace the defense to the goal line. Schumacher ran in the 2-pointer to give Prairie a 36-22 lead.
The Pirate defense against met the challenge on Potlatch’s next possession as Hasselstrom tackled Howard for no gain on a fourth and 4 at the Potlatch 46.
Hasselstrom picked up 14 yards in two rushes. Hibbard gained 5 to set up third and 1. Hasselstrom powered into the middle for 11 yards  to the 16 and a facemask penalty on the play set up first and goal at the 8.
Hasselstrom went around right end for 8 yards on the next play to score the touchdown. Schumacher again ran in the 2-pointer to give Prairie a 44-22 lead.
Potlatch answered with what turned out to be their only scoring drive the second half. Prairie helped them with 21 yards worth of penalties. Howard wound up scoring from the 2. The 2-point pass fell incomplete as Potlatch cut the deficit to 44-28 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
A holding penalty on the kickoff return had Prairie taking over at their own 20. A screen pass from Schumacher to Hasselstrom on third and 11 converted the first down as Hasselstrom went 28 yards on the play. Prairie then faced fourth down and 4 at the Potlatch 45. Schumacher passed deep down the right side to Hasselstrom who went all the way to the end zone for a 45 yard scoring play. After the 2-point run failed, Prairie had a 50-28 lead with 10:51 to play.
Potlatch was forced to punt from their own 32 as they faced fourth and 8. Jesse Cronan broke through the line and blocked the punt by Logan Amos and recovered the ball at the Potlatch 19.
Six plays later Lorentz took a pitch to the right and scored a 3 yard touchdown run. The 2-point run came up short but Prairie now led 56-28 with 7:41 to play.
A holding penalty against Potlatch helped the defense force another punt and the third time was a charm as Amos finally got a punt away for 28 yards as Prairie took over at their own 42.
Cronan picked up 10 yards for a first down at the Potlatch 48. On third and 7, Schumacher connected with Ross for 24 yards and a first down at the 21. Lorentz gained 12 yards to set up first and goal at the 9 and then scored on the next play. Schumacher passed to Ross for the 2-pointer to make it 64-28 with 3:39 left to play.
Both sides sent their subs out for Potlatch’s next possession and the Loggers picked up a pair of first down before the clock ran out.
Hibbard wound up with 132 yards rushing on just 8 attempts to lead the Pirates who gained 313 yards rushing on 42 attempts. Hasselstrom added 82 yards on 16 carries. Schumacher had 56 yards on 7 carries and Lorentz had 32 yards on 9 carries while Cronan had 11 yards on 2 carries.
Schumacher completed 7 of 11 passes for 195 yards. Ross caught 3 for 102 yards. Hasselstrom caught 2 for 73 yards and Hibbard caught 2 for 20 yards.
Prairie outgained the Loggers 508 yards to 350 for the game although it was only 255-237 at the half.
Potlatch had 244 yards rushing with Tucker picking up 128 on 23 carries and Howard 104 on 23 carries. Tucker was 7 for 13 passing for 106 yards.
Ross led the defense with 14.5 tackled. Hibbard had 10.5, 4 for loss. Hasselstrom had 6.5, 1 for loss. Jesse Cronan also had 6.5 tackles. McElroy and Chase Kaschmitter each had 5.5 tackles. Lorentz, Hanson and Levi Walsh each had 5 tackles. Schumacher had 4.5 and Eli Hinds, Noah Behler, Connor Brown and Carter Shears each had 0.5 tackles.
The Pirates are now 4-0 on the season and 3-0 in league play. This week they travel to Kamiah to play the 2-1 Kubs Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.
Prairie   14 14 16 20 -64
Potlatch 14  8   6   0 -28
Pr.-Ross 70 pass from Schumacher (run failed) 11:05 1^st
Po.-Howard 25 run (pass failed) 7:11 1^st
Pr.-Hasselstrom 2 run (Hasselstrom run) 6:11 1^st
Po.-Howard 44 pass from Tucker (Tucker run) 3:33 1^st
Po.-Tucker 13 run (Tucker run) 5:05 2^nd
Pr.-Hibbard 44 run (Schumacher run) 4:13 2^nd
Pr.-Hibbard 19 pass from Schumacher (run failed) 1:24 2^nd
Pr.-Hibbard 54 run (Schumacher run) 9:26 3^rd
Pr.-Hasselstrom 8 run (Schumacher run) 6:14 3^rd
Po.-Howard 2 run (pass failed) 0:46 3^rd
Pr.-Hasselstrom 45 pass from Schumacher (run failed) 10:51 4^th
Pr.-Lorentz 3 run (run failed) 7:41 4^th
Pr.-Lorentz 9 run (Ross pass from Schumacher) 3:39 4^th

28-vs. Glenns Ferry @ Middleton, 6:30 p.m. MDT, won 48-14

10-C.V.*, here, won 48-14
17-Logos*, here, Homecoming, won 72-24
24-Potlatch*,  there , won 64-28

  1-Kamiah*, there
  8-Lapwai*, here
15-Genesee*, there
22-Troy*, here, Senior Night
29 or 30-Higher Seed host, State

5 or 6-State Quarterfinals
12 or 13-State Semifinals
19 or 20-State Champ., UI or BSU
*league game
JV games will be scheduled once everyone starts practicing and we know who has JV teams.

31-C.V., here, 6 p.m., cancelled

  7-Troy, here, 6 p.m.
13-Pomeroy, here, 5 p.m.
20-Logos, there, 6 p.m.
27-Potlatch, here, 5 p.m.

  4-Kamiah, here, 6 p.m.
11-Potlatch, there, 5 p.m.
18-Pomeroy, there, 5 p.m.

  9-C.V., there, postponed to Tuesday, Sept. 14
14-C.V., there
16-Lapwai, there
23-Timberline, there
30-Orofino, here

  7-Lewis County, here
11-Lapwai, here
14-Kamiah, here