LC, Vikings play for league title
MARK NELKE | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years, 6 months AGO
Mark Nelke covers high school and North Idaho College sports, University of Idaho football and other local/regional sports as a writer, photographer, paginator and editor at the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has been at The Press since 1998 and sports editor since 2002. Before that, Mark was the one-man sports staff for 16 years at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint. Earlier, he was sports editor for student newspapers at Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University. Mark enjoys the NCAA men's basketball tournament and wiener dogs — and not necessarily in that order. | October 29, 2010 9:00 PM
The playoff game is next week. The game to determine where next week’s playoff game will be played is tonight.
Coeur d’Alene (7-1, 2-0 5A Inland Empire League) plays host to Lake City (6-2, 2-0) tonight at 7 at Viking Stadium to decide the league title.
More importantly, the winner will be the host team next Friday, when the two teams meet again in the first round of the state 5A playoffs.
In league play, Coeur d’Alene has won 44-3 at Lewiston and 41-14 at Post Falls. Lake City beat Post Falls 22-21 at home, and won 24-14 at Lewiston.
“We’re excited to play; it’s a chance to host (the playoff game), so that’s a critical game,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said.
Coeur d’Alene’s seven victories have come by an average of 28.4 points; its closest margin of victory was 12 points. Both teams come into the game with five-game winning streaks.
“They’re the real deal,” Lake City coach Van Troxel said of Coeur d’Alene. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out, how to slow them down somehow. The last thing you want to do is get into a shootout, because that’s how they want to play.”
Lake City quarterback Mark Smyly has not played the last two games, after suffering a partially separated right (throwing) shoulder vs. Lewiston. Troxel said there was a “possibility” he could play tonight.
Lewiston (5-3, 0-2 5A IEL) at Post Falls (6-2, 0-2): With Post Falls’ loss at home to Coeur d’Alene last week, both the Trojans and Lewiston were eliminated from state playoff contention.
“I guess it’s a pride game; it’s all we can call it,” Post Falls coach Jeff Hinz said. “It’s our senior night ... we’re going to try to finish the season strong and hopefully go out with a win.”
Timberlake (3-5, 3-0 Intermountain League) at Kellogg (0-8, 0-3): Barring a major upset, Timberlake will clinch the league title and the No. 1 seed to the state 3A playoffs next week. Timberlake would play host to the winner of tonight’s game pitting Buhl (5-3) at third-ranked Weiser (5-3).
If Timberlake wins tonight, the winner of the Priest River at Bonners Ferry game tonight will be the No. 2 seed to the state playoffs out of the IML. They would travel next week to play the winner of tonight’s game matching fifth-ranked Homedale (6-2) at top-ranked Fruitland (8-0).
Lakeside (6-2, 5-2 North Star League) at Wallace (7-0, 7-0): Wallace won the first matchup 42-40 at Lakeside on Sept. 24. Lakeside needs a victory to force a Kansas tiebreaker next week to determine the league’s lone state playoff representative in 1A Division I. If Wallace wins, the Miners will host a state playoff game next weekend.
Kootenai (4-4, 4-3 NSL) at Clark Fork (2-5, 2-5): Kootenai is 3-0 vs. Clark Fork and Mullan, the other two 1A Division II teams in the league, while Clark Fork is 2-1. Kootenai would advance to the state playoffs with a win; Clark Fork would force a Kansas tiebreaker with a victory. Kootenai beat Clark Fork 66-20 on Sept. 24 at Harrison Flats.
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“I’ve been very impressed by Zach’s natural ability to rush the passer,” Eck said. “And he’s worked hard on his body, he’s up to about 222 pounds now, and I really think he can be a difference maker for us. He’s still doing some things with the linebackers, but I think his speed can give some offensive linemen problems (as an edge rusher).”
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“The whole process has been completely amazing,” said Nathan Williams, now in his fourth season as the Badgers boys basketball coach. “And the parents … it’s an hour and a half to Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, when we’d play an AAU game, and an hour and a half back, and there were so many times there was 6, 8 inches of snow. And we’ve got a game at 8 a.m. They’d always schedule us at 8 a.m., coming from Bonners. So we’re waking up at 5 … it was crazy. But the commitment from the parents and the kids has been amazing.”