By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

RATHDRUM — “This is the most exciting thing I’ve seen in all my years in Lakeland. »

Well, until now.

With just a helping hand from Lakeland senior linebacker Clive Hobbs, the Hawks kept their season alive.

Hobbs deflected a Vallivue pass on 4th-and-10 deep in Lakeland territory, preserving the Hawks’ 28-21 victory over the Falcons in a 5A state football playoff quarterfinal game at Corbit Field Friday.

Third-seeded Lakeland (9-2) advances to face second-seeded Hillcrest (8-3), a 35-7 winner over Blackfoot, next weekend in the East East semifinals. Idaho.

“Clive is a great kid and has been with the program for three years,” Lakeland coach Mike Schroeder said. “He’s one of those guys who had a game with a lot of ups and downs. He had a penalty on him and could have missed a tackle. Offensively, he did some things and played much better in the second half.

Caldwell’s sixth-seeded Vallivue, who scored on a 76-yard touchdown pass with 5:55 left, drove to the 10-yard line in the final seconds. Hobbs stepped in front of a pass intended for Vallivue’s Ryker Oswald at the 5-yard line to force a turnover on downs.

“I knew I had to come out to the apartment and I just started flying there,” Hobbs said. “I knew I had to get to a point where I didn’t allow anything. I just hit the ball because I didn’t want to fumble it and risk anything.

Lakeland posted a 42-14 win over Shelley last Friday in the first round. Lakeland has only allowed more than 14 points twice this season, against Post Falls (Sept. 20) and Weiser (Sept. 6).

“Defensively, we played really well, really all year,” Schroeder said. “Tonight I feel like we gave that one away at the end that really hurt us because we had the momentum going into halftime. And then we dropped another one, and we obviously have some things we can change. But overall, I give the defense a lot of credit. We held them to 21 (points). I can handle this.

Lakeland chewed up time in the first quarter, driving down the field and scoring on a 4-yard run by senior Lovie Weil on a drive that lasted nearly nine minutes.

“I was really trying to score on that run,” Weil said. “It means so much to me. We have a hell of a team and think we’re going to go far. We can’t wait for Hillcrest next week.

Weil, who finished with 158 yards and three touchdowns, also had a 68-yard run to set up another score in the second quarter.

“Us seniors really wanted this,” Weil said. “We all came together and made it happen.”

Weil, who played running back all year, was on the field as a linebacker for the fourth down.

“It was probably the most exciting thing I’ve seen in all my years in Lakeland,” Weil said. “It was an incredible play by (Hobbs).”

“He’s just a hard-nosed runner,” Vallivue coach Shea McClellin said of Weil. “He took a few pictures of us and just got up, and that shows what kind of kid he is. He’s a tough runner and their offensive line opened some things up for him.

Lakeland senior quarterback Haydon Benson ran for 62 yards, including a 1-yard run, to give the Hawks a 28-14 lead with 2:04 left in the third.

“We have the ability to move quickly and throw the ball,” Schroeder said. “And we have the ability to make these nine-minute trips. That’s why we’re going to be where we’re going to be, in the semifinals. This is a credit to the coaches and players. They’ve done a great job and the players have done a great job buying into what we’re selling.

Benson also completed 9 of 12 passes for 96 yards, 58 going to junior Jace Taylor.

“We’ve relied on him to run the offense all year, and he’s got a lot to do in this offense,” Schroeder said. “With coach (Tony) Porter as offensive coordinator. He has to make a lot of decisions and he’s pretty good at all of them. And at the end of the match, he is the one we want to make the decisions.

This is Lakeland’s first appearance in the semifinals since 2007.

“It’s been a great season and we’ve played well so far,” Schroeder said. “In a school where we’re trying to change some things and some expectations, we’re trying to set that standard. The kids are excited, but there is more to come. It’s great to see kids wanting to continue playing football, and it’s great to see.

“They’re a tough team on both sides of the ball,” said McClellin, the former Boise State and Chicago Bears linebacker from Marsing High. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight. They’re just a tough team and we knew that coming in. They’re just an all-around good team.”

Vallivue 0 14 0 7 — 21

Land of the Lakes 7 14 7 0 — 28

First trimester

LL — Lovie Weil run 4 (Parker Sterling kick), 3:36

Second trimester

LL – Weil 1 run (sterling kick), 8:54

Vall — Isaac Moore 60 points (Conner Blaisdell kick), 5:03

LL – Weil 4 run (sterling kick), 2:07

Vall — Mason Enochson 32 pass from Moore (Blaisdell kick), :05

Third trimester

LL – Haydon Benson 2 run (sterling kick), 2:04

Fourth trimester

Vall – Austin Belnap 76 pass from Moore (Blaisdell kick), 5:55.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PRECAUTION — Vall, Carson 11-40, I. Moore 11-160, Oswald 1-5. LL, Weil 28-158, Taylor 3-21, Benson 14-62, Hobbs 1-2, Sardinha 1-2.

PASSAGE — Vall, I. Moore, 10-17-0-165. LL, Benson, 9-12-0-96.

RECEIVING — Vall, Marler 4-38, Enochson 2-37, L. Davis 1-4, Belnap 2-82, Oswald 1-4. LL, Taylor 6-58, Hillman 1-17, Lund 1-6, Scott 1-15.

JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPH Lakeland junior receiver Jace Taylor attempts to cut down the field as Vallivue linebacker Tyler Buckley brings him down during the third quarter of Friday’s 5A state football quarterfinal game at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.