Miscues doom Vikings
COEUR d'ALENE - As many mistakes as Coeur d'Alene made Friday night, the Vikings still had a chance to avenge a 51-point beatdown by Skyline last year.
Until the last mistake.
With Coeur d'Alene trailing by eight points and driving for the potential tying touchdown in the closing minutes, Skyline linebacker Drew Lunde stepped in front of a pass from Viking quarterback Gunnar Amos and returned it 84 yards for the backbreaking touchdown with 2 minutes, 21 seconds left.
That sealed a 38-23 victory for the visitors from Sammamish, Wash., over Coeur d'Alene in the second game of an Idaho Football Classic doubleheader at Viking Field.
Coeur d'Alene (1-2) had four turnovers, including two interceptions returned for TDs.
"You just can't turn the ball over that much, with fumbles and interceptions," Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos said. "You can't beat a team like that, turning the ball over like that."
Skyline (1-1) dominated the first half, possession wise, running 30 plays to five for Coeur d'Alene in the first quarter.
The Spartans built a 28-3 lead late in the first half, and was five yards from another score, when Coeur d'Alene's Ty Holgate forced a fumble by Skyline quarterback Kilton Anderson, and the Vikings recovered.
Two plays later, Amos connected with Addison Johnson down the middle for a 55-yard score with 1:29 left in the half.
Skyline went three and out, and two plays later, Amos hooked up with Jonny Plum down the middle, and Plum sped the rest of the way for another TD, with 29.8 seconds left in the half.
Suddenly, Coeur d'Alene trailed just 28-15 at the half.
"I told the kids it was on me at halftime," Skyline coach Mat Taylor said. "I should have just ran it out, then we would have went 35-3 at halftime, and got a little bit greedy."
Plum dashed 47 yards for a touchdown on the reverse to pull Coeur d'Alene within 31-23 with 11:20 left in the game. Skyline tried a 29-yard field goal, but it was low and caromed off a lineman, giving Coeur d'Alene the ball with 5:33 left.
The Vikings drove to the Skyline 19, where on second and nine, Lunde came up with the pick-six.
In the second quarter, Cameron Saffle stepped in front of an Amos pass and raced 45 yards for a touchdown. Saffle nearly had another pick-six deep in Viking territory in the third quarter.
"It was just a matter of time," Taylor said. "They kept throwing those stick routes, and were close, close, close, and then Lunde stepped in front of it."
Coeur d'Alene lost two fumbles in the first quarter, and also lost big yardage on a snap over the quarterback's head.
"I don't know the answer to that, that's something we've definitely got to figure out," Amos said. "We were setting the ball all over the ground in the first quarter; we didn't even get a drive."
Coeur d'Alene outgained Skyline 415-289, but couldn't overcome its own mistakes.
"If we take care of the ball, we're a good football team. If we don't we lose to teams like Skyline," Amos said. "We have good football players; we're just not taking care of the football. Our defense did outstanding. A team like that, we're lucky to be in the game at all with that many turnovers. Luckily we have some playmakers."
"Skyline's a quality program. They took care of the football, and we did not," Amos added.
In Friday's first game at Viking Field, Vanden of Fairfield, Calif., beat Copper Hills of West Jordan, Utah, 41-0.
Coeur d'Alene plays Highland next Saturday night at Holt Arena in Pocatello.
Skyline 7 21 3 7 - 38
Coeur d'Alene 0 15 0 8 - 23
Sky - Kilton Anderson 7 run (Jason Twaddle kick), 5:26
Sky - Rashaad Boddie 1 run (kick blocked), 11:55
Cd'A - FG Barber 25, 9:33
Sky - Cameron Saffle 45 interception return (Derek Loville pass from Anderson), 4:12
Sky - Armstrong 2 run (Twaddle kick), 3:28
Cd'A - Addison Johnson 55 pass from Gunnar Amos (pass failed), 1:29
Cd'A - Jonny Plum 74 pass from Amos (pass failed), :29.8
Sky - FG Twaddle 21, 3:19.
Cd'A - Plum 49 run, 11:20
Sky - Drew Lunde 84 interception return (Twaddle kick), 2:21
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING - Sky, Anderson 16-21, Wong 10-33, Boddie 14-83, Lunde 1-0. Cd'A, Amos 15-26, Johnson 2-1, Berger 4-15, Holgate 5-46, Green 1-2, Plum 2-56.
PASSING - Sky, Anderson 18-28-1-152, Blackburn 0-1-0-0. Cd'A, Amos 18-32-2-269.
RECEIVING - Sky, Loville 6-46, Cowin 1-4, Wong 1-15, O'Connell 2-13, Bretl 2-8, Sinatro 2-18, Boddie 1-17, Sypher 1-0, Blackburn 2-31. Cd'A, Johnson 4-76, Holgate 4-22, Blakley 3-28, Plum 3-113, Carlson 4-37.