5A REGION 1 BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP: Head-ed to state ... Vikings capture first region title since 2019 in thriller over Timberwolves

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — When clutch time comes, Coeur d’Alene senior midfielder Markus Noble looks two ways.

It was Wyatt’s way that sent the Vikings to state for the first time since 2019.

Senior midfielder Nate Wyatt sent a header past Lake City goalkeeper Benji Deming in the 78th minute, the lone score in Wednesday’s 5A Region 1 boys soccer championship match at Coeur d’Alene High.

“Markus and I have an endgame protocol,” Wyatt said. “If he hits it, I’ll get to it. It’s pretty special, but we’re moving forward from here. We need to keep doing what we’re doing and believing we can do it.”

Coeur d’Alene (10-1-2) will be the fourth seed at state starting next Thursday at Hillcrest High in Ammon.

“From the get-go, the whole point of the season was to become brothers with each other,” Wyatt said. “It kind of feels like we’ve done that now.”

Coeur d’Alene had a goal called back on an offside call in the 78th minute. Lake City had a chance to score on its next possession before Wyatt’s goal snuck in.

Noble took the kick from the 25-yard line and found Wyatt in a crowded pack in front of the net. Wyatt turned and knocked the ball past the diving hands of Deming.

“Every time I get those free kicks, I look for two people,” Noble said. “Either Nate or Cooper (Prohaska). Nate, he doesn’t even jump. He just and he gets his head on the ball. The regional title feels great. I knew our past teams had some great talent and we’ve learned a lot from those guys. It’s a really special group this year.”

Wyatt scored late in Saturday’s match against Lewiston to help the Vikings advance.

“He did this in the Lewiston game when we needed it and same thing,” Coeur d’Alene coach Braden Ridgewell said. “It was a great ball in by Markus and Nate just made the perfect run with a perfect header. You can’t coach it any better. And it’s a tough shot. A redirection off a header to the back post. As a coach, you can’t be any more proud to see soccer ability like that.”

It is Coeur d’Alene’s first regional title since 2019 and second since 2016.

“It feels good,” Ridgewell said. “We’ve had teams that have been good and fought hard. We’ve come so close and had great seasons. But to tie it in together at the end of the season like this when we feel it was rightfully deserved, it feels good.”

Lake City (9-4-1) beat Coeur d’Alene 3-2 on Sept. 20 at Lake City High after losing 4-1 at Coeur d’Alene High on Aug. 27.

“I’m really proud of my boys,” first-year Lake City coach Kevin Jump said. “I thought they competed really well. CHS competed well and it was back and forth. At any moment, it could have been different for either side and we were talking on the bench and knew it was going to take one moment of quality to win this game and they had that moment. We were close in the end, but just couldn’t put it in the net.”

Deming, a junior, had seven saves for Lake City.

“Benji, Kai Delio-McGuire, Aidan Stewart, Trenton Anderson, they played great back there on defense,” Jump said. “Benji had some really big saves to keep us in the game, and likewise for them, they had some big moments on the defending end. I’m very proud of my boys and thought they competed really well.”

Lake City will face Rocky Mountain of Meridian in a state play-in match on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Walker Field in Lewiston.

Rocky Mountain beat Lake City 2-1 in overtime in that matchup last season.

“The last time we played them, we were playing for third at state last year,” Jump said. “We’re looking forward to playing them again. It should be an interesting game.”

First half — none. Second half — 1, Cd’A, Nate Wyatt (Markus Noble), 78:00.

Shots on goal — LC 7, Cd’A 16.

Saves — LC, Benji Deming 7; Cd’A, Dylan Jones 5.