More than a game
COEUR d'ALENE - The one thing that the coaches of the Coeur d'Alene High football team preach to their players is that it's just a game and to have fun.
For Viking coach Shawn Amos, it was good to get back to football for a change.
Amos, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease during the team's bye last week, helped guide the Vikings to a 54-14 win against the visiting Skyline Grizzlies of Idaho Falls on Friday night at Viking Stadium.
"This is a close group of guys," Amos said following the game. "The one thing we preach is to go out and have fun. It's just football and they did that tonight. I'm proud to have them. It's a pretty special group to have my son (Gunnar) be a senior.
It's a good group of kids and coaches, and I'm pretty blessed to have them."
Amos discovered a lump over his left collarbone and told his players last Friday night.
"It's been a couple-week process," Amos said. "I feel good now and this helps for sure."
Coeur d'Alene quarterback Gunnar Amos completed 16 of 23 passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns - all coming in the first half.
"It's been a weird week, but it was good to get the win tonight," Gunnar Amos said. "This week, we've kind of came together as a Viking family and I can see how many people care about my dad and me. It was just nice to finally get out and play a game. We found out as a family last Thursday, and kept it quiet for a day or two, then once it got out, it spread like wildfire."
Coeur d'Alene led 35-0 after the first quarter and 51-0 at halftime.
"It was good," Shawn Amos said. "We started fast and I was happy with our kids starting to play at a high level when it matters."
Addison Johnson had three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown, and Chase Blakley had four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown for Coeur d'Alene (4-3), which resumes 5A Inland Empire League play next Friday at league rival Lake City at 7 p.m.
Skyline (2-6) - which has now lost five straight games - hosts defending state champion Madison of Rexburg next Friday.
"We knew they were a good team," Skyline coach Scott Berger said of Coeur d'Alene. "They've got lots of weapons and we're a little shorthanded right now. You've got to show up ready to play and that's part of the reason why we took this game, because if you want to be the best, you've got to play the best. And what's better than the two-time state champions and last year's runner-up. We need to get some players like they've got. Hats off to them, they've got great players and coaches and execute really well."
Skyline 0 0 0 14 - 14
Coeur d'Alene 35 16 3 0 - 54
First quarter
Cd'A - Chase Blakley 39 pass from Gunnar Amos (Brennan Barber kick), 11:21
Cd'A - Ryan Walde 21 pass from Amos (Barber kick), 6:25
Cd'A - Ty Holgate 5 run (Barber kick), 4:49
Cd'A - Jonny Plum 4 pass from Amos (Barber kick), 1:45
Cd'A - Addison Johnson 40 pass from Amos (Barber kick), 1:27
Second quarter
Cd'A - Amos 11 run (Barber kick), 11:41
Cd'A - FG Barber 35, 5:27
Cd'A - Holgate 18 run (kick failed), 2:45
Third quarter
Cd'A - FG Barber 28, 6:12
Fourth quarter
Sky - Layne Conner 7 run (Korrey Dock kick), 7:42
Sky - Benton Mitchell 40 run (Dock kick), 5:07
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - Sky, Mitchell 17-68, Peterson 21-84, Conner 9-69. Cd'A, Plum 3-9, Berger 5-35, Holgate 7-52, Green 2-20, Amos 3-31, Johnson 1-6.
PASSING - Sky, Mitchell 3-12-0-26. Cd'A, Amos 16-23-0-214.
RECEIVING - Sky, Wilkie 2-1, Olson 1-25. Cd'A, Johnson 3-62, Blakley 4-61, Green 3-27, Plum 2-21, Walde 1-17, Belmont 1-7, Potts 1-3, DeHaas 1-16.