Gridiron Guesses: Playoff streak on the line for Vikings
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 2 years, 3 months AGO
By MARK NELKE
and JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writers
Win and you’re in.
Lose and you’re done.
It’s as simple as that for the Coeur d’Alene Vikings tonight — and the Lewiston Bengals, for that matter.
Coeur d’Alene (4-4, 1-1 5A Inland Empire League) travels to Lewiston (6-2, 1-1) tonight at 7 at Bengal Field in the regular season finale.
The winner advances to the state 5A playoffs as the No. 2 seed from the North, and will host a first-round playoff game next week.
The loser will be done, as its record vs. “big schools” — the criteria used to determine the two at-large berths in the 12-team playoff field — will not be good enough.
Coeur d’Alene has a streak of 13 straight years in the playoffs on the line, but has lost two of its last three games — and didn’t score an offensive touchdown in its last win.
Still …
“We’re one win away from extending our season, so we have to control what we can control,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said.
Coeur d’Alene has owned Lewiston over the last two decades, winning 18 of the last 20 meetings, including the last five by an average of 32.4 points.
Lewiston’s last win was that 55-51 thriller at Bengal Field in 2016.
Meanwhile, Post Falls (6-2, 2-0 5A IEL) has already wrapped up the North’s top seed, a first-round bye and a home quarterfinal game in two weeks.
But the Trojans still have something to play for. Post Falls can win its first outright league title in football since 1995 with a win tonight at Lake City (2-6, 0-2).
“Obviously we’re not done yet,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said after the Trojans’ 21-6 win over Coeur d’Alene last week. “Lake City’s a good football team, they’ve got a lot of firepower and a lot of weapons …
“All four teams are really good …Lake City’s good, so we have to get ready to go.”
Lake City has played perhaps its best football the past two weeks, albeit it in a pair of league losses.
In the 4A IEL, Lakeland (6-2, 0-1 4A IEL) travels to Moscow (0-7, 0-1) tonight at 7 at Bear Field. Lakeland was idle last week after the previous week’s 38-13 licking by Sandpoint, which wrapped up the lone automatic bid from the North last week with its 67-0 win over Moscow. But the Hawks, ranked No. 7 in 4A by MaxPreps, will earn an at-large berth into the 16-team state playoffs — the only question is how high their seed will be.
“We’re 6-2, and we want to beat Moscow and be 7-2 and have the highest seed possible going into the playoffs,” first-year Lakeland coach Mike Schroeder said. “Nothing to be ashamed of (losing to Sandpoint), but we have some work to still do.”
Since Lakeland did not secure one of the eight automatic bids statewide (the North only got one), the Hawks will be seeded 9-16 and will travel next week in the first round — though its MaxPreps ranking, if that was the sole criteria, would have given Lakeland a home game in the first round.
“Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make the playoffs and win a playoff game; it hasn’t been done in a while (not since 2007), and that is still our goal,” Schroeder said. “Our goal is still out there to achieve.”
In what’s left of the Intermountain League, which is down to two football playing teams, Bonners Ferry (7-0) travels to Timberlake (4-2) tonight at 7 in the lone league game of the season. The winner earns a top-five seed to the 14-team state 3A playoffs; the loser figures to get one of the three at-large berths, as determined by MaxPreps rankings.
Bonners Ferry is ranked sixth this week, Timberlake 11th.
The top two of the five league champions statewide earn first-round byes; the other three host a first-round game.
Timberlake, which opened in 1998, last lost to Bonners Ferry in 2005; the Tigers have beaten the Badgers 18 straight times.
In the Central Idaho League, which is up to five teams for at least the next two years, St. Maries (2-5, 2-1 CIL) can wrap up the league’s second automatic berth to the state 2A playoffs tonight at home with a win over winless Orofino (0-6, 0-2).
Kellogg (5-3, 3-0), which along with Priest River dropped down from 2A for this two-year cycle, has already wrapped up the league’s top seed to the playoffs. The Wildcats conclude the regular season tonight at Priest River (2-5, 1-2).
In the 1A Division II North Star League, Kootenai (0-8, 0-6 NSL) plays at Lakeside (1-6, 1-5) tonight at 7 in Plummer in the season finale for both teams.
Mullan/St. Regis (7-2, 6-0) and Clark Fork (5-3, 5-2) have already secured playoff berths from the North.
Mullan/St. Regis, which plays host to Wallace today, will have a first-round bye and host a state quarterfinal game in two weeks.
Clark Fork, which is idle today, will host a first-round playoff game next week.
As for the picks, Mark went 5-0 last week and Jason was 4-1, missing on St. Maries' win over Priest River. For the season, Mark leads at 41-8, followed by Jason at 39-10.
HIGH SCHOOLS
Today’s Games
Coeur d’Alene (4-4, 1-1 5A IEL) at Lewiston (6-2, 1-1), 7 p.m.
NELKE: Coeur d’Alene has the pedigree, but Lewiston is playing better this year — and has the advantage of playing at home. The Vikings’ defense should keep this one close.
Lewiston, 20-12
ELLIOTT: To win in Lewiston, sometimes you've got to play like you have your back against the wall.
Coeur d'Alene, 22-20
Post Falls (6-2, 2-0 5A IEL) at Lake City (2-6, 0-2), 7 p.m.
NELKE: If the Trojans take care of business, they’ll party like it’s 1995.
Post Falls, 28-16
ELLIOTT: Post Falls has been playing some good football as of late.
Post Falls, 34-20
Lakeland (6-2, 0-1 4A IEL) at Moscow (0-7, 0-1), 7 p.m.
NELKE: Lakeland, 55-0
ELLIOTT: Lakeland, fresh off a bye week, gets back on track for the playoffs with a win.
Lakeland, 48-12
Bonners Ferry (7-0, 0-0 IML) at Timberlake (4-3, 0-0), 7 p.m.
NELKE: Ditto the Cd’A-Lewiston matchup. Timberlake has the pedigree in the IML, but Bonners Ferry is playing better.
Bonners Ferry, 28-24
ELLIOTT: Both teams have been waiting all year for this game. Hopefully both have done enough where the losing team also has a path to the playoffs.
Timberlake, 28-24
Orofino (0-6, 0-3 CIL) at St. Maries (2-5, 2-1), 7 p.m.
NELKE: After starting out 0-5, the Lumberjacks roll into the playoffs with their third straight win.
St. Maries, 49-0
ELLIOTT: St. Maries has figured something out offensively.
St. Maries, 48-12
Kootenai (0-8, 0-6 NSL) at Lakeside (1-6, 1-5), 7 p.m.
NELKE: Lakeside won the first meeting with Kootenai, 62-0.
Lakeside, 56-6
ELLIOTT: Lakeside, 48-8