It was loud, just not quite Pig loud

Rivalry games are loud and spirited on their own.

Throw in a trophy like the wooden Fish, a stuffed Pig or even a Paddle, and it could result in absolute chaos.

IN THE inaugural Battle for the Paddle spirit games between Lakeland and Sandpoint high schools, this year held in Rathdrum, the Hawks came out victorious in the boys basketball game and wrestling match.

More importantly, they also won the Paddle.

“I loved the atmosphere of the Battle for the Paddle and the high energy environment that both schools created,” said Sandpoint athletic director and former Lake City High boys basketball coach Kris Knowles. “It kind of reminded me of the (Fight for the) Fish days. We have such a positive, student-centered working relationship with Lakeland, and I really think it came through during the event.”

The night began at 4 p.m. on Friday, with the Sandpoint girls beating Lakeland in a 4A Inland Empire League basketball game.

“It wasn’t quite as loud as the Pig,” said Lakeland coach Steve Seymour, who coached the the Prairie Pig games against Post Falls for nearly two decades. “It was weird because we tipped off at 4 p.m., and some parents aren’t off work yet and able to get to the game. By the time our game was over, the crowd started to fill up. It was loud, but not Pig loud.”

Once that game was over, the gym was converted for a wrestling match, won by the Hawks.

“There wasn’t any difficulty at all changing over,” Lakeland athletic director Tim Cronnelly said. “The wrestlers, cheer kids and coaches did great. We were able to change over and prepare the floor for the match. It was a smooth transition.”

Lakeland beat Sandpoint 54-30 in the wrestling dual.

“We haven’t seen anything like that since I wrestled here in 1989, when it was standing room only for matches at times,” Lakeland wrestling coach Rob Edelblute said. “The kids loved it and you could see the smiles on their faces. It was a great night for them, and I was happy for them to get to feel all those people cheering them on.”

AND WITH that extra noise, it increased the difficulty of players being able to hear their coaches.

“The kids kind of know what to do on the mat and they really can’t hear us during regular matches,” Edelblute said. “And they’ve got to do a lot of lip reading. They know during the match when to turn and read. I know that the match really got the kids fired up and got the crowd going. It was an awesome night.”

Lakeland’s boys capped the night with a last second 3-pointer to beat Sandpoint, and was awarded the Paddle by a group of judges following the game.

Cronnelly was previously the athletic director at Timberlake High, where they hold the annual Battle for the Buck spirit games.

“It’s tough to compare the two competitions,” Cronnelly said. “Both the Timberlake and Lakeland leadership students put in an amazing amount of time and effort preparing. A loud gym with kids going nuts for hours at both. I enjoyed and appreciated the sportsmanship displayed by the rival schools. It was important to get the wrestlers involved. The kids were fantastic and it was one of my favorite events of the year. However, I was relieved when the night was over.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JEPressSports.