PREP FOOTBALL: Road-trippin' with playoffs in mind
One reason the Coeur d’Alene High football team took a bus all the way to northern California for its season opener vs. Folsom was, in their quest to play tough games prior to league play, sometimes the Vikings have to travel great distances.
But there was another reason as well.
The Vikings knew if they made the state 5A playoffs, they would have to make at least one long road trip.
And by finishing second in the 5A Inland Empire League, the Vikings will have to make at least two long road trips in the postseason, starting tonight when Coeur d’Alene (6-3) plays at Eagle (9-0) at 5 p.m. PDT in the state 5A quarterfinals.
“Two reasons for long road trips during our preseason schedule,” Coeur d’Alene coach Amos said. “One, we have to travel to find the best teams to play. And two, to prepare for the playoffs. We look at road trips as an advantage because we get our players together on the road and we can use that time to prepare for the game.”
If Coeur d’Alene wins tonight, the Vikings will hit the road again next week, to face the winner of tonight’s game between Mountain View of Meridian and Highland of Pocatello, slated for Holt Arena in Pocatello.
Not that the Vikings are thinking that far ahead.
“We are just focused on Eagle and if we are lucky enough to win we will worry about next week,” Amos said.
The Vikings planned to travel as far as Baker City, Ore., on Thursday, then bus the rest of the way into southern Idaho today.
Eagle is averaging 35.2 points per game. The Mustangs have two shutouts and have held five opponents to seven points or less. The most points Eagle has allowed in a game is 20 — to Highland and Rocky Mountain.
The Mustangs average 212 yards per game on the ground. Jonas Loyens has rushed for 686 yards and eight touchdowns, and Slayter Jeffries had 490 rushing yards and eight TDs.
Mustang junior quarterback Devan Bridgewater has passed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns, with one interception.
“Eagle runs the ball very well and plays great, physical defense,” Amos said.
By comparison, Coeur d’Alene junior QB Colson Yankoff has thrown for 2,700 yards and 25 TDs, with six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 882 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Vikings average 249.6 rushing yards and 307.7 passing yards.
Eagle is in its 11th season with an artificial turf field.
“Coeur d’Alene looks typically fast, athletic, very aggressive and obviously well coached,” 11th-year Eagle coach Paul Peterson said. “Coach Amos has established a program that has huge expectations and it reveals itself. We having nothing but respect for our opponent; the margin of error is very small.”
Coeur d’Alene and Eagle last met in the 2011 state title game, with the Vikings winning 49-28 at Bronco Stadium in Boise in a game featuring quartebacks Chad Chalich (Coeur d’Alene) and Tanner Mangum (Eagle).
4A
Blackfoot (7-3) at Lakeland (5-4): The Hawks take the field for a playoff game for the fourth straight season when they host the Broncos in a state quarterfinal game tonight at 7 at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.
Lakeland is in the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, all at home. But the Hawks have not won a playoff game since beating Kuna at home in the 2007 quarterfinals.
Last year, Lakeland lost 56-6 to Middleton in the first round.
“Last year the kids got slapped around,” Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer said. “They had to get stronger in the weight room. Now we’re more competitive; the guys worked hard.”
Lakeland had a bye last week, after winning the 4A Inland Empire League.
Blackfoot was a quarterfinalist in last year’s state playoffs, after reaching the title game in 2014 before falling to Bishop Kelly.
Tonight’s winner travels to the Middleton-Bishop Kelly winner in the semifinals.
3A
Gooding (6-4) at Timberlake (3-6): The Tigers annually play a tough nonleague schedule, usually with pretty good success.
This year, however, Timberlake dropped all six nonleague games. The Tigers went 3-0 in Intermountain League play to earn a first-round playoff bye heading into Saturday’s 1 p.m. quarterfinal matchup at home vs. the Senators at Spirit Lake.
“We didn’t have a great preseason,” 14th-year Timberlake coach Roy Albertson said. “We had a couple kids banged up, and when we got ’em back we started playing better. But all the teams we’ve played (in the preseason) are going to be in the playoffs.”
One key absence early in the season was Clayton Rundgren, a starter at strong guard and defensive tackle, who was injured in an automobile accident in July.
Rundgren, Timberlake’s lone returning starter on the line, came back for the Tigers’ final nonleague game, vs. Lakeland.
“We were very short of linemen this year,” Albertson said. “He solidified our line; we started being able to move the football. We really struggled early.”
Gooding defeated visiting Homedale 27-12 in the first round last week. The Senators have won four straight since a 2-4 start, which included a three-point loss to unbeaten Shelley.
“They throw the ball well and run the ball well; just a good all-around team,” Albertson said.
Timberlake is in the playoffs for the 14th straight season, but is facing a District 4 team for only the second time, and first since beating Declo in 2006.
2A
North Fremont (6-3) vs. St. Maries (9-0): St. Maries coach Craig Tefft said the Lumberjack players decided, prior to the playoffs, if they won their first-round game, they wanted to play in the Kibbie Dome for the quarterfinals, as a reward for the seniors.
As it turned out, St. Maries might have had to play there anyway, as its home field got pretty torn up in last week’s first-round victory over Melba.
The Lumberjacks and Huskies are slated to meet Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the Dome.
North Fremont pummeled winless Wendell 77-22 last week in the first round.
“We’ve been looking at film on them a little bit this season,” Tefft said. “They’re explosive offensively. We’ve definitely got our work cut out for us this week.”
Saturday’s winner travels to face either Bear Lake or New Plymouth next week in the semifinals.