Editor's note: This story has been updated.

POST FALLS — Opening the season with Post Falls has become an annual tradition for Sandpoint football over the last eight seasons.

Unfortunately, the gridiron battle has been a bit lopsided with the Trojans winning 14 of the last 15 meetings between the two schools. The last time SHS emerged victorious was 2015, when the team made it all the way to the 4A state championship game.

The Bulldogs will be looking to change that narrative when they step on the field tonight, and head coach Ryan Knowles is expecting a dogfight.

“It’s a super challenge,” he said. “They’re a big school, they’re a proud school, they’re well coached and they got numbers. They’re a solid operation, so we got to bring our A-game.”

In last year’s opener at War Memorial Field, the Bulldogs hung around with 5A Post Falls for over three quarters, but in the final eight minutes the Trojans scored a pair of touchdowns to secure a 35-14 victory.

Post Falls, who went 5-4 last season, stifled the Sandpoint offense, holding them to just 152 total yards. But at the time, the Bulldogs were still trying to discover who their signal caller was going to be.

Two-time all-league running back and returner Gerrit Cox started at quarterback and got nearly every snap under center. It took a few games, but eventually the Bulldogs settled on sophomore Parker Pettit as their starter. Pettit went on to win the 4A Inland Empire Offensive MVP and led the team to the state semifinals.

The uncertainty at the position stemmed from the lack of an offseason in 2020 due to the pandemic. There were no camps, scrimmages or jamborees. Sandpoint hadn’t seen another team in roughly nine months prior to their matchup with the Trojans. That made it difficult for coaches to evaluate where players fit.

This year, however, the Bulldogs saw the return of a more normal offseason and got plenty of opportunities to see position battles play out on the football field.

SHS and Post Falls faced off a handful of times during the offseason, and Knowles said those reps are irreplaceable. He said it’s nice to have a better feel for his team heading into game one, but the Bulldogs won’t have any advantage in that category.

“We’re way further along this year, but so is everyone else,” he said. “That’s not an edge for us. Everyone got the same offseason as we did time-wise.”

The Trojans, who have played in the 5A state playoffs four straight years, lost seven receivers during the offseason, including Tommy Hauser, who was a two-time all-state wideout. But quarterback Jaxon Anderson is back and in 2020 he racked up 153 yards through the air and 73 yards on the ground against the Bulldogs, along with two touchdowns.

The SHS defense struggled to get off the field in that game as the Trojans ran over 80 plays on offense.

Post Falls utilizes an up-tempo style that aims to wear out a defense as the game draws on. Knowles said the Bulldogs know what’s coming and they just have to match the Trojans’ pace and be the unit that makes the least mistakes. Regardless of what the Trojans are doing, he said his defense needs to focus on the fundamentals, get off blocks and run to the ball every play.

Anderson’s dual-threat ability is difficult to slow down, but Knowles believes his squad is up for the test.

“You know the operation between the quarterback and the head coach is going to be on point,” he said. “His legs are absolutely a wild card. This goes for anybody, when you add that wild card you strain the defense. So when you say the word strain, you respond with the word toughness.”

Fortunately, the Bulldogs have a dual-threat quarterback of their own in Pettit. Last season, he passed for 1,138 yards and ran for 298. His legs opened up the Sandpoint attack last fall and the team will look for a similar impact this season.

There are some question marks at wide receiver, but the offensive line is looking strong and Cox will be carrying the load in the backfield. Post Falls has a strong secondary with Chase Berg and Zach Clark, who led the state in interceptions in 2020, holding things down. Knowles said the Trojans have some talented defensive players, but it’s going to take all 11 players to slow down the Sandpoint offense.

“Their whole defense is going to have to step up to stop all of it, that’s the challenge,” he said. “We face our offense every day in practice and it gets to be a lot.”

The Bulldogs will also be debuting a new wrinkle on offense against Post Falls that offensive coordinator Jeremy Thielbahr has never used during his high school coaching career.

Knowles said the SHS offense will make defenses pay for their mistakes.

“We’re going to do what we do,” he said. “We’re going to spread the field.”

Entering the season opener, Sandpoint is ranked No. 3 in the state in the 4A media pool. Expectations are high and Knowles believes his team did everything they could preparation wise to meet them. Now the Bulldogs just have to go out and execute.

“I love the way this team has handled the offseason,” he said. “You got to earn the right to say you're a competitor and say you're a winner, and these guys have worked hard and I would like to think that means something.”

Kickoff for tonight’s game at Post Falls is set for 7 p.m. You can listen to the game on AM 1400 KSPT, ROCK 103 (FM 102.9) or rock103fm.com. The game will also be livestreamed on SWX.