4 local teams in playoff mode

The seeds - the No. 1 team from the North vs. the No. 5 team from the 10-team 5A Southern Idaho Conference - suggest a mismatch.

But the Coeur d'Alene Vikings, who have played in the last three state title games, winning two of them, aren't focusing on that.

The Vikings (6-3) play host to Timberline (4-5) of Boise tonight at 7 in the first round of the state 5A playoffs.

"What we tell our kids is, it's not about who, it's about how - how we do our job," Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos said.

Timberline defensive end Don Hill, who has verbally committed to Washington, was lost for the season to a ruptured right achilles tendon in September. Wolves quarterback Michael Stefanic did not play football last season, but last spring led the Timberline baseball team to the state championship. The Wolves have lost three of their past four games.

Timberline is near the bottom of the 5A Southern Idaho Conference in total offense, but near the top in fewest yards allowed. Updated totals weren't available, but the Wolves were about 50/50 as far as rushing yards vs. passing yards.

Coeur d'Alene senior quarterback Gunnar Amos, who missed last week's game after suffering a concussion two weeks ago vs. Lake City, has been cleared to return. Amos has thrown for 2,120 yards and 18 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He's also rushed for seven touchdowns.

"We're excited to have our quarterback back, which is nice," Shawn Amos said of his son.

Addison Johnson is Coeur d'Alene's leading receiver, with 33 catches for 596 yards and four touchdowns. Chase Blakley, one of two Vikings who have also committed to UW, has 32 catches for 555 yards and seven TDs.

Austin Chadderdon has a team-high 9.5 sacks, Jackson Carlson four interceptions for the Viks.

Tonight's winner will play the Capital-Idaho Falls winner next week in the state semifinals.

Skyview (8-1) at Lakeland (5-4): Skyview, ranked No. 2 in 4A, has won eight straight since losing its opener 14-10 to No. 1 Bishop Kelly. Since then, the Hawks have scored at least 28 points per game, including more than 50 points in four games.

"If you look at their scores, they have been in 40s and 50s, and there hasn't been too many teams that have scored against them," Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said. "Obviously we're concerned with stopping them, and scoring on them. We're definitely hoping the weather (rain is forecast for today) plays in our favor."

Anthony Marin has passed for 2,329 yards for Skyview, and Jaxon Pryor has rushed for 1,135 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Lakeland is back in the 4A playoffs for the second time in three seasons. When last year's starter, Derek Bayley, a Washington State commit in golf who opted not to return following shoulder surgery in August, the Hawks worked out three prospective replacements before settling on junior Tyrel Derrick, who played cornerback last year.

"Ty has surpassed all my expectations," Kiefer said. "He's a bright kid, makes the right reads. We run the ball with our quarterback a lot, and Ty is a natural runner."

Colton Butcher and Tuekota Tate are the primary ballcarriers for Lakeland, which figures to be smaller than Skyview - which is nothing new for Lakeland.

"In general, if you look at our team, we're an undersized group of kids - have been for awhile," Kiefer said. "Our kids don't buy into it - every team, our kids hit with them, regardless of size. Our kids have done a good job against bigger teams."

The winner of tonight's game at Corbit Field in Rathdrum plays to the Rigby-Jerome winner next week in the semifinals.

Fruitland (8-1) at Timberlake (6-3): Fruitland has a new coach this year, after Bruce Schlaich won 110 games in 12 seasons there. But other than that, not much has changed at the 3A power, which has played for the state championship each of the last seven years.

"Fruitland is still Fruitland," Timberlake coach Roy Albertson said. "The head coach now (Ryan Tracy) was the offensive coordinator last year. They might not run as many plays as they have in the past, but there hasn't been a lot of change offensively and defensively. It's still kind of the same team."

The only difference - Fruitland actually lost a game in Snake River Valley conference play, falling 34-12 at home to eventual SRV champion Homedale.

Other than that, today's game in Spirit Lake figures to be another game between two programs quite familiar with each other in the postseason. Timberlake and Fruitland have squared off five times since 2004, with Fruitland winning the last four, including a 33-0 victory last year in the semifinals at Van Tuinstra Memorial Field.

"We're going to have to play as hard as we have in our nonleague games against Moscow, Sandpoint and Lakeland," Albertson said. "It's going to take a great effort to beat those guys. Homedale came up with that kind of effort at Fruitland and they were able to beat Fruitland, so it's possible."

Salmon River (9-0) at Kootenai (6-3): Kootenai is in the playoffs for the eighth straight year. But Saturday's 1A Division II matchup in Harrison Flats figures to be one of the Warriors' toughest yet - eight of Salmon River's nine wins have been by the 45-point mercy rule.

"They've been pretty much laying the whooping to everyone this year," Kootenai coach Doug Napierala said.

Kootenai's record is a bit deceiving, as two of its three losses have been to unbeaten Wallace, ranked No. 3 in 1A Division I.

Kootenai's best playoff finish was a state runner-up finish in 2008.

"We're senior loaded with 10 of them on the team this year," Napierala said. "It's been a goal of theirs to get back (to the title game). The seniors were eighth graders that year (in 2008), and are really geared toward it."

Prep football

n Tonight's Games

Timberline at Coeur d'Alene, 7 p.m.

Skyview at Lakeland, 7 p.m.

n Saturday's Games

Fruitland at Timberlake, 1 p.m.

Salmon River at Kootenai, 1 p.m.

n Playoff schedules, scores/B4