T-Wolves brace for air attack of Rypien, Shadle
MARK NELKE | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 4 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. | September 19, 2014 9:00 PM
Tonight's Games
All 7 p.m.
Coeur d'Alene at Moses Lake
Shadle Park at Lake City
East Valley at Post Falls
Cheney at Lakeland
Timberlake vs. Asotin (Wash.) at Kibbie Dome
St. Maries at Kellogg
Timberline at Kootenai
Lakeside at Wallace
The best defense against Brett Rypien, Shadle Park's record-setting quarterback, might have little to do with defense.
"The real key is, if you don't give him the football," Lake City coach Van Troxel said. "You control the ball, and don't give him the ball. If we have the ball all the time, then we're in pretty good shape."
Lake City (3-0) plays host to Shadle Park (2-0) tonight at 7 in what figures to be the marquee game of the nonleague series of games between the Inland Empire League and the Greater Spokane League. So far, the IEL has won five of the seven matchups, including Coeur d'Alene's 31-8 handling of Ferris at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane.
Shadle has beaten Fife 63-14 and Richland 36-24 this season - a game the Highlanders led 36-10 in the fourth quarter at Richland.
In two games Rypien, who has verbally committed to Boise State, has thrown for 816 yards and 12 touchdowns - four to wide receiver Sam Stratton.
"We're excited to get a chance to play them," Troxel said last week, after Lake City routed Central Valley 57-21. "It's a big game between the GSL and North Idaho. And, honestly, I hope they won tonight so they come in undefeated, and it can be the big game of the week."
Coeur d'Alene (3-0) at Moses Lake (2-0): The Chiefs played right before the Vikings at Albi last Friday, beating Lewis and Clark 19-16 in overtime. Rehn Reiley kicked a 49-yard field goal for Moses Lake to send the game into overtime, and Nathan Bell scored on a 2-yard run to win the game. Lewis and Clark lost 29-0 at Lake City two weeks ago.
East Valley (1-1) at Post Falls (1-2): The Trojans are looking to bounce back from a pair of tough defeats, to Skyview (26-20) and University (37-27). East Valley, which beat Deer Park 27-20 in its opener, is coming off a 41-10 thumping by Lakeland last week.
Cheney (1-1) at Lakeland (3-0): Cheney beat Deer Park 14-0 last week, after losing its opener 12-10 to Colville. Lakeland is averaging 32 points in its three wins.
Timberlake (2-0) vs. Asotin (1-1): Tonight's game is scheduled for the Kibbie Dome in Moscow - the second college stadium the Tigers have played in so far this season. Timberlake beat Frenchtown (Mont.) in its opener at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Asotin beat McCall-Donnelly 9-7 and lost 33-20 to Riverside.
St. Maries (2-1) at Kellogg (0-3): The teams met three weeks ago, with St. Maries rolling 41-0 in the season opener. Last year, the teams also met twice, and after St. Maries won big in the opener, Kellogg came back in the rematch for a tight victory at home.
Timberline (2-1, 1-0 White Pine League) at Kootenai (0-2, 0-1): Timberline has wins over Mullan (34-16) and Lewis County (64-0), and a loss to Clearwater Valley (60-14) last week. With losses to Clark Fork and the Wallace junior varsity, Kootenai is off to an uncharacteristically slow start.
Lakeside (1-2) vs. Wallace (1-2): This used to be the first of two matchups to determine the 1A Division I playoff entry from District 1, but no more, with Lakeside dropping to Division II this year. The Knights are coming off a 20-14 win at Clark Fork. Wallace lost big to Lapwai and Garfield-Palouse before beating Potlatch 58-42 last week.
5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Coeur d'Alene 0 0 3 0
Lake City 0 0 3 0
Post Falls 0 0 1 2
Lewiston 0 0 1 2
Friday's Games
Coeur d'Alene at Moses Lake
Shadle Park at Lake City
East Valley at Post Falls
Lewiston at Clarkston
4A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Lakeland 0 0 3 0
Sandpoint 0 0 1 2
Moscow 0 0 1 2
Friday's Games
Cheney at Lakeland
Sandpoint vs. Mt. Spokane at Albi Stadium, Spokane
Pullman at Moscow
INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Timberlake 0 0 2 0
Priest River 0 0 2 1
Bonners Ferry 0 0 0 3
Kellogg 0 0 0 3
Friday's Games
Timberlake at Asotin (Wash.)
St. Maries at Kellogg
Priest River is idle
Saturday's Game
Lake City JV at Bonners Ferry
CENTRAL IDAHO LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Grangeville 0 0 2 1
Orofino 0 0 2 1
St. Maries 0 0 2 1
Friday's Games
St. Maries at Kellogg
Grangeville at McCall-Donnelly
Orofino at Waitsburg (Ore.)
1A DIVISION I
Independent
Wallace 1 2
1A DIVISION II
WHITE STAR LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Kendrick 2 0 2 1
Timberline 1 0 2 1
Deary 1 0 1 2
Clark Fork 2 1 2 1
Lakeside 1 1 1 2
Kootenai 0 1 0 2
Lewis County 0 3 0 3
Mullan 0 2 0 2
Friday's Games
Lakeside at Wallace
Timberline at Kootenai
Mullan at Kendrick
Selkirk (Wash.) at Clark Fork
Lewis County at Deary
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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.”