COEUR d'ALENE — A recovered paddle, an epic space battle and a futuristic Fight for the Fish are keeping positive vibes flowing this week as Coeur d'Alene and Lake City high schools prepare for their annual spirit competition and hometown rivalry basketball games Friday.

Although the schools did not discuss their themes before selecting them, they both landed on concepts that are out of this world. 

The Force is strong with Coeur d'Alene High students as they prepare their "Revenge of the Fish" performances and cheers based on the "Star Wars" universe.

“The Force is definitely with me this week,” senior Cannon Adams said Wednesday. “The spirit is way higher than it was last year. I think it’s a more popular theme, a lot more people like ‘Star Wars.’”

Lake City High students are looking ahead 1,000 years with their "Fight for the Future" theme, complete with a time travel hype video starring the school's Timberwolf mascot, now known as "T-Wizzy."

“I’m on the cheer team, and according to the cheerleaders, his name was Timmy, but according to student council, he did not have a name, he was unnamed," Lake City senior and ASB Vice President Ashley Kerns said with a laugh.

ASB President Luke Sharon said last year he was throwing around different names for the Timberwolf.

“T-Wizzy was really funny, kids loved it, and I was like, 'I’m going to start calling him that,' and then everyone started calling him that, so I’m like, ‘OK, T-Wizzy it is,'" Sharon said, smiling.

Both schools have been spending this week and beyond preparing choreographed cheers to show off their school spirit at the Fight for the Fish basketball games. Girls varsity plays at 5:30 p.m., boys will square off at 7 p.m. The games will be in the Lake City gym, as Lake City won the spirit fish last year.

The first Fight for the Fish was held in February 1999. Coeur d'Alene High lost the the varsity game, but won the spirit fish. Lake City answered back the second year, winning the fish and giving it a home on the Timberwolf wall of fame, where it has returned many times through the years. Lake City won the fish for nearly 10 years until Coeur d'Alene broke the streak in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the tradition down for the following two years.

This year, the schools are making up for lost time. Their halls are decorated, their students are pumped and both are eager to show off their awesomeness.

“One thing I really love about this event every year is that it can showcase all of the good things from every part of our school,” Kerns said. “We can showcase the athletes, we can showcase our teachers, we can showcase our art kids and our drama kids. That’s why our school culture environment is so excited for this event every year, because we can showcase and honor all the students and all the hard work they’ve put in all year long.”

Coeur d'Alene High's Fight for the Fish momentum spawned a "Star Wars" Club, where students who are fans of the franchise have been experts for those planning the Fight for the Fish performance.

“It’s been super fun,” senior Maya Lowder said. "One thing about having a ‘Star Wars’ theme that’s been really cool is there’s so many people in our student body who have such a passion and love for ‘Star Wars.’”

Sharon is looking forward to introducing a new "spirit stick" paddle at his school.

“This spirit stick was lost during COVID because we didn’t have any games," he said. "The next year we also didn’t have any games, and so this year, for the first time, we’re having it for any live event, any game, and this is its first Fight for the Fish."

One of the former ASB presidents made it, and that was the year Lake City lost the fish, Sharon said.

“And then COVID happened, so it was like, ‘OK, as a reminder for everything that we lost, here’s the paddle,’” he said.

The decorated paddle was at a student’s home and forgotten about, until Sharon saw photos of it on Instagram and tracked it down.

"This year, we finally got it back, and I’m really excited for this debut of it,” he said. “It’s a big part of the history of it.”

“It’s also so symbolic of the Fight for the Fish events we’ve missed over the past few years,” Kerns said.

Along with their united school spirit, both schools are participating in the All for AWL campaign, during which they collect items for different causes and needs in the community: A blanket drive for Family Promise of North Idaho, a clothing drive for St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho, a family needs drive for Safe Passage and a hygiene drive for Union Gospel Mission. The items will be delivered in early February.

Lake City senior Ava Angell moved to Coeur d'Alene her junior year. She said it's awesome how the high schools have this friendly crosstown rivalry that encompasses all of their student bodies.

"I really like seeing everyone come together on that day because everyone has some extreme spirit going on," she said. "It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone has a shared common identity, which is really fun on that day. It means a lot to everybody."

    Ava Angell, a Lake City High School senior, rehearses Fight for the Fish cheers with her fellow students Wednesday.
  

    Coeur d'Alene High School senior and ASB President Andi-Jane Howard discusses her school's Fight for the Fish spirit as she stands by student-made posters Wednesday. The annual spirit competition and basketball games are Friday.
  

    Lake City High senior and ASB President Luke Sharon on Wednesday shows off the "spirit stick" paddle that will debut at Friday's Fight for the Fish.