Go west, young man

COEUR d'ALENE - In a school of more than 5,000 students, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle.

But when Coeur d'Alene High senior Jake Matheson and his family made the move from Naperville, Ill., to Coeur d'Alene in June 2009, the deck got a little smaller.

"I'd visited here before with my family," Matheson said of North Idaho. "My dad made a joke once about moving here. I've began to love it since I got here."

Matheson, a starting wide receiver and defensive back for the Vikings, added the size of the program at Coeur d'Alene, compared to Neuqua Valley High, has been a big change.

"It didn't have the family feel like it does here," Matheson said. "We get into games like the one against Moses (Lake). They had the athletes like us - but we've got the heart to go with it."

Coeur d'Alene led the nonleague game 31-0 before the game was called due to lightning in the third quarter.

Shawn Amos, football coach at Coeur d'Alene, said once Matheson caught onto the Viking system, it was like he'd been there his entire career.

"It took him a little while to get comfortable and learn our system and expectations," Amos said. "But by the end of the season, he became a very important part of our team. He is now a big part of our family here and it feels like he has been here since he was a freshman."

Matheson also pointed out with a large selection of players in a 5,000-student school, sometimes the roster may change from year to year.

"You definitely get a lot of kids out," Matheson said. "With the number of athletes that go out, it becomes really cutthroat out there. Most of these kids (here) have been playing together for years. It's like instead of playing together, you're like brothers because you're always around them."

As a sophomore, Matheson was moved from the junior varsity to the varsity for the Illinois state playoffs - but didn't play in a 20-0 loss to Saint Charles North.

When he arrived in Coeur d'Alene, he instantly jumped into the Viking football program by going to camps.

"When I got here last June, all my friends that I'd met were playing football too," Matheson said. "It branched from that. A lot of kids play football and I started getting to know some of the seniors. It kind of served a different purpose. I started to make friends by getting to know the kids that I was doing drills with."

Since then, Matheson has developed into one of junior quarterback Chad Chalich's favorite targets in the Vikings offense, with 18 catches for 358 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings (2-1). He caught nine passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday's 36-34 road loss to Skyview High of Vancouver, Wash.

"Everyone here is so laid back," Matheson said. "Coach (Shawn) Amos tries to coach us to be better teammates. What he doesn't realize is that when you're brand new to the program, it makes it a lot more comfortable position to be in."

In Matheson's first season with the Vikings, they finished the season one game away from the 5A state championship game. This year, they don't plan to stop until they are in the title game.

"The biggest difference from last year is we're better athletically," Matheson said. "We've got more confidence because we've been there before. We made it to the playoffs and anything short of playing in Pocatello is a failure."

It's that attitude that Amos is counting on as the season progresses.

"The bigger the game, the better he is," Amos said. "The most impressive thing about him is he has really stepped up as a leader. His effort in practice has greatly improved and he is always one of the first guys to help the younger players. I am excited for this group of players. They really care about each other and believe they can be a very good high school football team."

And considering the bond the team has - the sky could very well be the limit.

"It's weird," Matheson said. "I started with some of my best friends last year when they were seniors. Those guys set a tone for the program. Players like (Chad) Chalich, (Joe) Roletto and (Keagan) Dunn, they've become like family. We're hanging out with them outside of school. When I'm on the field, I take a look at 'Tuck' (Thomas Tucker), (Sean) Duffy and (Drew) Moreno, I know they won't let me down."

"Jake is a tremendous competitor," receivers coach Matt House said. "Like they say, big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations. Jake is the picture of this. We have had some outstanding receivers at Cd'A, but he has to be one of the best. He had tremendous body control, great game speed and fantastic hands."

But it's not just the football field where Matheson has some big goals this season. He's also working toward attending an Ivy League school following graduation.

Matheson finished his junior year with a 3.8 GPA.

"I'm one of those kids that knows I should have worked harder in school," Matheson said. "One of my best friends, Matt Lambert, is a good athlete, student body president and has a 4.0. I know that if one of my best friends can do it - why can't I?"

"This intelligence carries over onto the field," House said. "He is aware of not only what he is supposed to do, but what everyone else is doing as well. Jake does a great job of tutoring others on the field and is a great asset to the team - as well as the program."

Matheson also participates in basketball and baseball for the Vikings.

"We're returning three of the best players I've ever played with in Deon (Watson), Chad (Chalich) and Andrew (Baracco). We've got a BSU kind of mentality right now. We've got a chip on our shoulder and we're just a bunch of feisty, scrappy kids that are ready to get after it and that reflects itself in the game. We're not huge, but we can get nasty."