Vikings handle Ferris
COEUR d’ALENE — In the last couple of weeks, the Coeur d’Alene High football team has looked like, well, the Vikings of recent years.
After being shut out two weeks ago for the first time in 11 years, Coeur d’Alene posted an impressive come-from-behind victory last week, then followed that up Friday night with a 40-0 victory over Ferris of Spokane in nonleague play at Viking Field.
Coeur d’Alene (2-1) scored on its first three possessions and never looked back against the Saxons (0-2), who have now been outscored 82-0 in their two games.
“This group of guys has really grown and been coached, and responded the way we’ve asked them,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said. “We’re playing a ton of kids, and a lot of kids haven’t played a lot of varsity football, but you see them start to be seasoned.”
Coeur d’Alene racked up 603 total yards, 485 through the air. Starting quarterback Austin Lee, playing the first and third quarters, threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for two more scores. Backup QB Colson Yankoff, playing in the second and fourth quarters, threw for 216 yards and two scores.
KC Hutchings, Brody Lundblad, Joey Naccarato and Cole Ramseyer each caught touchdown passes. Hutchings had six catches for 120 yards, Ramseyer four catches for 163 yards.
Defensively, the Vikings held the Saxons to 33 yards and three first downs in the first half, and yielded just 115 yards in the game — 16 on the ground. Senior defensive lineman Dan Pierce had a pair of first-half sacks, and the mention of his name brought a smile to Amos’ face.
“That’s just good bloodlines — that’s my nephew,” Amos said. “He’s really taken a huge step, from last year to this year. He really dedicated himself to the weight room, and he’s figured it out, he’s playing at a very high level.”
Lee dashed for TDs of 48 and 27 yards on Coeur d’Alene’s first two possessions. On the next drive, he threw a swing pass in the left flat to Hutchings, who took it down the sidelines to the house.
In the second quarter, Lundblad juggled a short pass from Yankoff in the left flat, then dashed down the sideline to the end zone. Naccarato took a short pass over the middle from Yankoff, broke to the outside and used blocks from Griphen Le and Caleb Beggerly to sprint down the sidelines for six points.
Early in the third quarter, Ramseyer caught a short pass over the middle from Lee, somehow got away from two Saxons who had a hand on him, then ran through a third tackle and scored.
Ferris punted the ball eight times, turned the ball over on downs three times and had a pass intercepted in the first half, by Le.
Coeur d’Alene plays host to Moses Lake next Friday.