STATE 6A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS — Coeur d'Alene forces four turnovers in 23-14 win over Boise

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

COEUR d'ALENE — Senior Davis Whittaker is one of many pass catching options for the Coeur d'Alene High football team. 

On Friday night, he did most of his receiving on the defensive end. 

Whittaker intercepted three passes total — including one to foil a two-point conversion — and the top-seeded Vikings forced four turnovers in all in a 23-14 rockfight of a victory over eighth-seeded Boise in a state 6A quarterfinal football game at Viking Field. 

"In the playoffs it's win and move on," Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos said. "It wasn't pretty all around, but we made the plays when we needed to make the plays — big-time interceptions when we needed them, and causing a fumble." 

Coeur d'Alene (10-0) will play host to fifth-seeded Highland (6-5) of Pocatello in a semifinal game next weekend. Highland won 28-14 at fourth-seeded Eagle on Friday night.

Max DeMarre also had an interception for Coeur d'Alene, and Bear Coleman recovered a fumble as the Vikings jumped out to a 10-0 lead near the end of the first quarter, but Boise (8-2) wouldn't go away. 

Whittaker's first interception came near midfield, and led to Frankie Lopez's 32-yard field goal that boosted Coeur d'Alene's lead to 10-0.  

"That first one got us going early; set the tone for the game," Whittaker said. "I didn't even know I caught it; it just kinda appeared in my hands." 

His second interception came after Boise pulled within 10-2 on a safety when the snap sailed over the Coeur d'Alene punter's head and out the back of the end zone. 

Boise took the free kick and drove to the Coeur d'Alene 9. On second and 7, the Vikings pressured Boise sophomore quarterback Wayne Bower, and his pass was picked off by Whittaker at the goal line late in the first half. 

Boise pulled within 10-8 late in the third quarter on Bower's 1-yard keeper. The Brave went for two, but an illegal procedure penalty moved them back to the 8. Bower scrambled and completed a pass on the next play, but Boise had several linemen illegally downfield, pushing the ball back to the 13. 

There, Whittaker stepped in front of the receiver at the goal line and picked off the two-point pass. 

"He was a pretty good route-runner the whole game, and he'd been doing those in-breaking routes," Whittaker said. "And when he broke out, I was able to read the quarterback's eyes ... " 

"Those were big-time, and the timing was big-time," Amos said of Whittaker's interceptions. "We really needed them, in the situation we were in. We were awful sick this week, and I'm glad we survived — including me." 

Coeur d'Alene drove 80 yards in eight plays, with Tannar Stern hitting Jackson Hackett on a slant route for a 19-yard touchdown and a 16-8 lead. 

Bower was picked off by DeMarre near midfield, and Stern leaped over the pile from a yard out to make it 23-8.  

Boise answered with the touchdown, but missed the PAT kick (the Brave missed a field goal in the first half), leaving it a two-score game.  

Boise drove late in the game, but Bower fumbled at the end of a run and Coleman recovered at the Viking 5 yard-line. 

Stern finished with 221 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 78 yards and a score. Hackett had 109 yards on four receptions.

"It was one of those crazy games where you're just happy you come out with a win," Amos said. "I think it got us back into a playoff atmosphere mode; we've got to make sure we control our emotions and don't respond to things. That was a good discipline lesson for us." 

Boise     0    2    6    6    —    14 

Coeur d'Alene    10    0    6    7    —    23 

First quarter 

Cd'A — Oliver Strait 18 pass from Tannar Stern (Frankie Lopez kick), 6:00 

Cd'A — FG Lopez 34, 1:34 

Second quarter 

Boise — Safety punt snapped out back of end zone, 7:17 

Third quarter 

Boise — Wayne Bower 1 run (pass failed), 4:44 

Cd'A — Jackson Hackett 19 pass from Stern (kick blocked), 1:45 

Fourth quarter 

Cd'A — Stern 1 run (Lopez kick), 11:38 

Boise — Bower 2 run (kick failed), 8:13 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — Boise, McDonald 12-36, Bower 13-67, Smith 1-5. Cd'A, Stern 13-78, Coleman 8-38, Strait 3-10, Schillinger 2-(minus 6), Team 1-(minus 13). 

PASSING — Boise, Bower 29-42-3-229. Cd'A, Stern 15-25-0-221. 

RECEIVING — Heikkinen 8-82, Marcum 4-28, Ruebel 2-26, Walters 7-50, McDonald 4-8, Saunders 3-34, Smith 1-4. Cd'A, Hackett 4-109, Comstock 5-47, Strait 3-26, Schillinger 2-13, Whittaker 1-26.  

    MARK NELKE/Press Coeur d'Alene senior Jackson Hackett (8) heads upfield after the catch as Boise freshman Tanner McDonald (17) goes for the tackle in a state 6A quarterfinal Friday night at Viking Field.