Post Falls looks to build on solid start
MARK NELKE | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 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 2, 2016 9:00 PM
Tonight’s Games
All at 7 p.m. unless noted
Central Valley at Coeur d’Alene
Lewis and Clark at Lake City
Lakeland at Colville
Freeman at Timberlake
St. Maries at Riverside
Lakeside at Kendrick
Post Falls vs. Mead at Roos Field, Cheney, 6 p.m.
Despite opening on the road, with a new head coach, the Post Falls Trojans were able to overcome that with a season-opening victory at Sandpoint last week.
“What we liked, really, was our defense,” said interim Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett, praising the work of defensive coordinator Adam Shamion and the other defensive coaches. “It was nice to see a physical defense out there on the field.”
Post Falls plays Mead, a 4A school in the Greater Spokane League, tonight at 6 on the red turf at Eastern Washington University’s Roos Field.
Bennett said receiver Matthew Mills, who scored three touchdowns last week at Sandpoint, “took full advantage of his opportunity,” and said an overall goal for the offense is to improve on the slow start they had last week.
Bennett said the Sandpoint High administration did an “awesome job” remembering former Post Falls coach Jeff Hinz, having a moment of silence before the game for him as well as for George Yarno Sr., father of first-year Sandpoint coach George Yarno Jr.
Central Valley (0-0) at Coeur d’Alene (0-1): The Bears, with a new quarterback and new head coach, are picked to finish second in the six-team 4A GSL, behind Gonzaga Prep.
Coeur d’Alene rallied in the second half to win 37-30 at CV last year.
“We barely made it out of there with a win,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said.
Lewis and Clark (0-0) at Lake City (0-1): The Timberwolves, under first-year head coach Bryce Erickson, look to bounce back from last week’s season-opening 48-7 loss to Madison of Rexburg.
The Tigers, who beat Lake City 35-14 last year at Albi Stadium in Spokane, were hit hard by graduation. Lewis and Clark is picked to finish sixth in the 4A GSL.
Lakeland (1-0) at Colville (0-0): The Hawks matched last year’s win total with a 44-0 win over Bonners Ferry last week.
Freeman (0-0) at Timberlake (0-1): The Tigers look to bounce back from last week’s 24-20 season-opening loss at Frenchtown (Mont.).
Freeman beat Timberlake last year, 34-7 at Freeman.
St. Maries (1-0) at Riverside (0-0): The Lumberjacks opened strong last week, thumping Kellogg 52-12.
St. Maries romped 40-0 over Riverside last year at home.
Lakeside (0-0) at Kendrick (1-0): It’s the season and White Pine League opener for the Knights, the lone area team not to play last week.
Kendrick opened last week with a 34-28 victory over 1A Division I Genesee.
5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Coeur d’Alene 0 0 1 0
Post Falls 0 0 1 0
Lewiston 0 0 1 0
Lake City 0 0 0 1
Friday’s Games
Central Valley at Coeur d’Alene
Lewis and Clark at Lake City
Post Falls vs. Mead at Roos Field, Cheney
Walla Walla at Lewiston
4A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Lakeland 0 0 1 0
Moscow 0 0 1 0
Sandpoint 0 0 0 1
Friday’s Games
Lakeland at Colville
University at Sandpoint
Moscow at Clarkston
INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Priest River 0 0 0 0
Timberlake 0 0 0 1
Bonners Ferry 0 0 0 1
Kellogg 0 0 0 1
Friday’s Games
Freeman at Timberlake
Medical Lake at Kellogg
Priest River at Newport
Lakeside (Wash.) at Bonners Ferry
CENTRAL IDAHO LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
St. Maries 0 0 1 0
Orofino 0 0 0 1
Grangeville 0 0 0 1
Friday’s Games
St. Maries at Riverside
Northwest Christian at Grangeville
Orofino at Marsing
1A DIVISION I
Independent
W L
Wallace 0 0
1A DIVISION II
WHITE STAR LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Clark Fork 1 0 1 1
Lewis County 1 0 1 0
Kendrick 0 0 1 0
Deary 0 0 0 0
Lakeside 0 0 0 0
Timberline 0 1 0 1
Kootenai 0 1 0 1
Thursday’s Game
Clark Fork (Mont.) 52, Clark Fork 18
Friday’s Games
Lakeside at Kendrick
Wallace vs. Clearwater Valley (at Kibbie Dome)
Joseph (Ore.) at Deary
Lewis County at Timberline
Kootenai is idle
ARTICLES BY MARK NELKE
PREP FOOTBALL: Post Falls runs past Sandpoint
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Big Sky Football Kickoff: Plenty of new faces will need to step up for Vandals
“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).”
THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Journey to a title in Bonners — with a brief stop in Cd’A
“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.”