GRIDIRON GUESSES Oct. 18, 2024: Getting down to crunch time in local high school football
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 1 year, 10 months AGO
Gridiron Guesses 2024
While Coeur d’Alene vs. Lake City is considered the big rivalry in local high school football, Coeur d’Alene vs. Post Falls has been more competitive in football in recent years.
Over the last 10 seasons, Coeur d’Alene has won seven of the meetings, Post Falls four (they also played a nonleague game in 2020 due to COVID-19).
Coeur d’Alene (5-2, 1-0 6A Inland Empire League) travels to Post Falls (5-2, 0-0) tonight for a 7 p.m. matchup at Trojan Stadium.
“They’ll be tough,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said of Post Falls, moments after opening league play with a 17-7 win over visiting Lake City. “You win that game, you’re the No. 1 seed out of North Idaho. Our kids will be fired up; Post Falls has become quite the rival themselves.”
Coeur d’Alene can wrap up the league title and a first-round bye to the state playoffs with a win tonight.
Post Falls could do the same with a win tonight and a victory next Friday at Lake City (4-3, 0-1).
The top two teams in the 6A IEL advance to the playoffs. The second-place team will host a first-round game in two weeks. The league champ joins the party a week later in the quarterfinals. The third-place team could be in the hunt for one of the two at-large bids to the 12-team playoffs, based on MaxPreps rankings.
Post Falls has scored 38 or more points four times this season, but gave up 69 points last week in a loss at Moses Lake.
“Coeur d’Alene’s a very good team,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “And when there’s only three teams in our league, we’ve got to be at our best. We’ve got a league championship on the line. We’ve got to focus and find a way to play well at home. We’re excited to play them at home and should have a great week.”
Lake City plays at Lewiston tonight in a nonleague game, the Bengals’ first on their new, on-campus, artificial turf field.
The big game in the 5A IEL tonight pits Sandpoint (3-5, 0-1 5A IEL) at Lakeland (5-2, 0-0).
Lakeland last beat Sandpoint in 2016; the Bulldogs have won seven straight against the Hawks since then.
Sandpoint lost to Lewiston 37-27 last week at home in the league opener. Lakeland travels to Lewiston next Friday in the finale of the three-team league.
In the Intermountain League, Timberlake (2-5, 0-0 IML) plays host to Moscow (6-2, 1-0), which dropped down to 4A in football this year and next.
Moscow beat Bonners Ferry 28-14 last week in the league opener for the three-team league (in football, anyway).
Timberlake travels to Bonners Ferry (3-4, 0-1) next week in the regular season finale.
The top two teams in the Central Idaho League collide tonight when Grangeville (5-2 3-0 CIL) visits Kellogg (3-4, 2-0). Also in the CIL, St. Maries (0-6, 0-2) is home vs. Priest River (4-2, 2-1).
In a North Star League game which suddenly got bigger after last week, Coeur du Christ (2-4, 2-2 NSL) plays Wallace (6-1, 3-1) at Sather Field in Silverton.
Lakeside will improve to 6-1, 4-1 after accepting a forfeit tonight from Clark Fork (0-6, 0-5), which had to cancel the game due to injuries.
Next week, the final week of the regular season, Wallace is home vs. Lakeside, and Coeur du Christ is scheduled to play host to Clark Fork at the Marimn Health Coeur Center in Worley.
As for the picks, Josh McDonald had the best week, going 4-2. Mark Nelke and Jason Elliott each went 3-3.
For the season, Mark is 41-14, Jason 40-15, Josh 36-19.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
All at 7 p.m.
Coeur d’Alene (5-2, 1-0 6A Inland Empire League) at Post Falls (5-2, 0-0)
NELKE: Post Falls should be particularly fired up, playing at home. But the Trojans have given up 116 points in their past two losses over the past three weeks, which is a bit concerning.
Coeur d’Alene, 24-21
ELLIOTT: This is the time of year when the Vikings start to make their move toward a deep postseason run. Post Falls might be right with them, but Coeur d'Alene might be just a little better tonight.
Coeur d'Alene, 28-20
McDONALD: The Viks can lock up the 6A IEL with a win, but Post Falls is very good. A Trojan win creates the possibility of a three-way tie if Lake City beats the Trojans next week. As much fun as chaos is, I think Coeur d’Alene gets it done.
Coeur d'Alene, 35-28
Lake City (4-3) at Lewiston (4-3)
NELKE: Lake City closed down Booth Hall with a win in basketball a few years ago. Why not open a new opposing stadium with another ‘W’?
Lake City, 13-7
ELLIOTT: Even if this is a nonconference game, the Timberwolves have a ton to play for.
Lake City, 20-14
McDONALD: In August, this was probably a game that most people thought would be a snoozer. Now, it’s a game that could have a lot of post season implications.
Lake City, 24-20
Sandpoint (3-5, 0-1 5A Inland Empire League) at Lakeland (5-2, 0-0)
NELKE: Feels like it’s Lakeland’s turn.
Lakeland, 24-21
ELLIOTT: Both teams need a win tonight if playing in November is going to happen. Should be a fun one.
Lakeland, 28-24
McDONALD: The Hawks can end the Bulldogs’ season early if they win their home finale. Should be a fun, physical battle.
Lakeland, 28-24
Moscow (6-2, 1-0 Intermountain League) at Timberlake (2-5, 0-0)
NELKE: A few weeks ago, this seemed like a no-brainer. Now I’m not so sure.
Moscow, 28-24
ELLIOTT: Timberlake, 33-28
McDONALD: The story after this game is going to be one of two things. Either Moscow wins and clinches the IML, validating its drop to the 4A ranks. OR, Timberlake’s early season struggles with its tough schedule pay off. The Tigers are used to playing in big games in October, the Bears are not.
Timberlake, 35-30
Priest River (4-2, 1-1 Central Idaho League) at St. Maries (0-6, 0-2)
NELKE: The visiting Spartans have won four straight, and have scored more than 40 points in three of those wins.
Priest River, 28-24
ELLIOTT: A tough season for the Lumberjacks gets tougher tonight.
Priest River, 35-20
McDONALD: The Lumberjacks are better than their record indicates, but they’re not built to play from behind. The Spartans have looked like a wagon in the games they’ve won. A Spartan win almost guarantees that two teams from the CIL make the playoffs, a Lumberjack win could derail more than just Priest River’s playoff hopes.
Priest River, 35-28
Grangeville (5-2 3-0 CIL), at Kellogg (3-4, 2-0)
NELKE: Grangeville could wrap up a first-round bye to the state 3A playoffs with a win tonight at Teeters Field. Then again, so could Kellogg with an upset tonight and a win at Priest River next week.
Grangeville, 36-30
ELLIOTT: Grangeville, 44-28
McDONALD: How different styles contrast is interesting. The Wildcats are fresh off a major win over New Plymouth and were one play away from the final score mirroring that of Grangeville’s matchup with the Pilgrims a few weeks ago. Kellogg has had at least 400 yards of offense in their past three games, the question is what defense is going to show up.
Grangeville 33-21
Coeur du Christ (2-4, 2-2 North Star League) vs. Wallace (6-1, 3-1) at Sather Field, Silverton
NELKE: Again, a few weeks ago, this seemed like a no-brainer. Then Coeur du Christ stunned league-leading and previously undefeated Lakeside. If the Saints can pull off another upset, next week could get REAL interesting.
Wallace, 44-42
ELLIOTT: If Wallace wins tonight, next week against Lakeside is a massive one.
Wallace, 48-42
McDONALD: The Saints did the Miners a favor last week, beating Lakeside. I don’t think lightning strikes twice though, setting up a clear-cut league championship game next week between Wallace and Lakeside.
Wallace, 48-35
PREP FOOTBALL
6A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Coeur d’Alene 1 0 5 2
Post Falls 0 0 5 2
Lake City 0 1 4 3
Friday’s Games
Coeur d’Alene at Post Falls
Lake City at Lewiston
5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Lewiston 1 0 4 3
Lakeland 0 0 5 2
Sandpoint 0 1 3 5
Friday’s Games
Sandpoint at Lakeland
Lake City at Lewiston
INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Moscow 1 0 6 2
Timberlake 0 0 2 5
Bonners Ferry 0 1 3 4
Friday’s Games
Moscow at Timberlake
Bonners Ferry at Orofino
CENTRAL IDAHO LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Grangeville 3 0 5 2
Kellogg 2 0 3 4
Priest River 1 1 4 2
St. Maries 0 2 0 6
Orofino 0 3 1 5
Friday’s Games
Priest River at St. Maries
Grangeville at Kellogg
Bonners Ferry at Orofino
NORTH STAR LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Lakeside 3 1 5 1
Wallace 3 1 6 1
Coeur du Christ 2 2 2 4
Clark Fork 0 4 0 5
Friday’s Games
Coeur du Christ vs. Wallace at Sather Field, Silverton
Clark Fork at Lakeside, canceled