STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER TOURNAMENTS: Same target, goals for area squads

5A

BOYS

Heading south — unbeaten last year — you could say that the target on the back of the Lake City High boys soccer team entering the state soccer tournament might have been a lot larger than anticipated.

With only one loss this year, but a lot of key starters back again, they might have just enough to finish what they started a year ago.

“We’re a lot younger team this year,” Lake City senior forward Jack Barrett said. “Players down there, a lot of the teams down (in Boise) graduated a lot of players and a lot of seniors. We’re young, but we’re hungry and ready to make something happen.”

“I think we’re going in the right direction at the right time,” said Lake City coach Chad Beadell, who has coached the Timberwolves to in fifth of the last six seasons. “But at state, you’ve got to have some things go right for you. You’ve got to be healthy, get some balls to bounce your way and capatalize on your opportunities.”

Lake City’s highest finish under Beadell was fourth in 2006, his second year at the school.

Last year, Lake City lost 2-1 in the opening round to eventual runner-up Centennial. After beating Madison 3-1, Lake City lost in the consolation championship 2-1 to Idaho Falls.

Timberline High of Boise won the state title last year. A team from District 3 (Boise) has won the state title in 10 of the last 11 years, with Post Falls winning the title in 2012 at Coeur d’Alene High.

GIRLS

In an effort to focus on each match as it comes, the Lake City girls don’t talk about anything other than what’s next.

The next match comes today against Rocky Mountain High of Meridian at Meridian High.

“We’ll take some some off to get fit and see if we can’t get healthy,” said 13th-year Lake City coach Matt Ruchti following the Timberwolves 3-1 Region 1 championship win against Coeur d’Alene. “We’ll look to get some information on them and see if we can’t continue the momentum, which is hard to do, and continue what we’ve been doing.”

Lake City beat Eagle in overtime last year, then lost 4-2 to runner-up Boise in the semifinals and 3-1 to Rocky Mountain in the third place game.

Only Lake City (2012) and Coeur d’Alene (2006) have won state titles from the north in 5A since the start of the tournament in 2000. This marks Lake City’s seventh straight appearance at state.

Havana Johnson and Camryn Wendlandt — who has signed with San Diego State — are two of the key members of the Timberwolves offensive attack.

“They’ve had a great season,” Ruchti said. “This entire team has been a great group of players all together. Havana has had her moments on the field for sure this year, but the front line — whether it’s Annica (Wilson), Monique (Queen) or Mariah (Morgan) in the regional semifinals — they just keep producing, and it’s been great. Both Havana and Camryn’s leadership has been prevelant on the field. They come to play each day. They get after each other in practice, and it’s healthy for us. It’s been a great year.”

After a 4-1 loss to Lake City in the Region 1 championship match — Coeur d’Alene’s third of the season to the Timberwolves — the Vikings got refocused on the goal set earlier in summer workouts.

Bringing back a state title.

“The Lake City loss was a tough loss,” third-year Coeur d’Alene coach Andy Vredenburg said. “The day after the game, we had a meeting and the girls had a really great attitude and didn’t want to give up on that goal. The girls played hard in the play-in match against Borah and just found a way to with that match. That’s been our theme all year long. Things might not be going our way, but they’ve found a way to win.”

Coeur d’Alene (9-4-1) opens the state tournament against defending champion Centennial High (11-3-1) of Boise at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian.

“I think it’s going to be a lot like the game against Borah,” Vredenburg said. “Borah had good possession in our match, and we’re looking at the same kind of opponent. We just need to get our chances and take advantage of those opportunities.”

Coeur d’Alene finished fourth at state last year, the school’s first appearance since 2009,

“I think it’s going to be huge,” Vredenburg said of last year’s finish. “Last year, it was the first time for most of the girls that hadn’t been to day. Now they know what to expect. We’re not going just happy to have made it, but going to win. And that experience from last year will be huge for us.”

4A

BOYS

Playing up is nothing new for teams in North Idaho when it comes to soccer.

Doing so might have helped the growth for Lakeland, which enters the state 4A tournament at Brothers Park in Caldwell with 10 straight wins after an 0-2-2 start.

“We’ve just been coming out, working hard and trying to get better in each match,” Lakeland junior midfielder Cody Callahan said. “And it’s been working well for us this season.”

Three of the four players on the Lakeland roster (Daniel McDevitt, Owen Shelton and Brad Rotz) have been on each of the Hawks’ state qualifying teams

“For them, it’s their third trip to state, and they wanted it bad,” fourth-year Lakeland coach Andrew Craig said. “That was their plan all year and they worked all summer for it. We had a couple of foreign exchange students (Uho Reiman, Ola Molberg) join our program as well, and they wanted to make it a goal also. They bought into the program and the team right away and really helped with our success.”

Lakeland finished third in 2013, the program’s second appearance at the state tournament.

“We’ve got to stay our course and stick to our philosphy,” Craig said. “We’re a team and we moved the ball together and work as a group to do it.”

GIRLS

Sandpoint, which beat Lakeland 2-1 in the 4A Region 1 championship match, will attempt to three-peat as champions.

The Bulldogs will open the state tournament against Century High of Pocatello at 10 a.m PDT at Brothers Park in Caldwell..

3A

BOYS

Bonners Ferry beat St. Maries 3-1 in the 3A District 1-2 tournament to advance to state. The Lumberjacks lost to Emmett in a play-in match last Saturday in Moscow.

Last year’s champion Wendell failed to advance.

GIRLS

Timberlake and defending state champion Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy both made it back to state. But a rematch of last season’s state title game won’t happen.

That’s because both teams are on the same side of the bracket.

If Coeur d’Alene Charter (13-5-1) defeats Shelley (13-0-1) and Timberlake (16-0-1) downs Community School in the first round today, they’ll meet up in the semifinals Friday.

“They want to defend the title ... they certainly want to have a rematch against Timberlake,” Coeur d’Alene Charter coach Dave Baxter said last Thursday, after Charter lost to Timberlake 3-2 in the District 1 title game. It was the second straight year Timberlake beat Charter for the district title.

“These two teams are so evenly matched,” Timberlake coach Steve Michaels said. “We’re a much different team (than last year). We’ve done a lot of fixing some of the problems we had last season. And a lot of the players grew. I don’t want to see them (Charter) again.”

He was sort of kidding, but sort of not. The lone blemish on Timberlake’s record this year was a tie with Charter during Intermountain League play.

Last year’s loss in the title game has motivated Timberlake.

“During the second half of last year’s state (title) game, we kinda fell apart,” Timberlake sophomore forward Shelby Starr said. “It was awful. They scored on a corner kick in the first half, we got a penalty shot and we missed it, and after that it was downhill the rest of the game. We came back with a stronger team (this year).”

For Coeur d’Alene Charter, getting back to a rematch with Timberlake will take some doing. According to Baxter, Shelley has scored 111 goals and allowed just two this season. Also, Timberlake drew a district champion in its opener.