A lot to build on for Post Falls, Lakeland

It wasn’t quite those raucous nights in the gymnasium during the Battle for the Prairie Pig spirit games, but don’t be fooled, there’s still plenty to play when Post Falls and Lakeland high schools collide on the football field.

No, the games didn’t count in the Inland Empire League standings, but chances are, what fans witnessed on Friday night might have been a good indication of what these teams will do moving forward.

BOTH TEAMS were hit a little by graduation, with each team returning only a few starters at the start of the season.

Now, even the newcomers are well-versed on what to expect in the varsity game.

While it didn’t wind up a win, Lakeland coach Tim Kiefer saw some improvement in his team.

“We’ve got to lock some things down,” Kiefer said. “Right now, we’re just doing some things that are fundamentally wrong. We’re not executing schemes the way they’re supposed to be done.”

Lakeland (2-2) visits Timberlake on Friday.

“Our kids are not playing the way we want them to quite yet,” Kiefer said. “Once we get some things ironed out, we should be fine. But not yet.”

Lakeland entered last year’s game against Timberlake with a 1-4 record. Unlike most area teams, Lakeland had a bye week on Aug. 24, when most were playing in the first week of the season.

“Compared to last week (a 40-27 loss at home to Lake City on Sept. 14), I thought we played a better game,” Kiefer said. “It’s hard of hard to see from the stands, but it was good to see from that standpoint. Physically, it wasn’t a step forward. But execution wise, it was.”

WHEN THE schedule came out earlier this year, Post Falls was unable to find a game for the last Friday in September, having a bye week right before 5A Inland Empire League play began.

Then, they had a game.

And then last week, they didn’t again after Fife (Wash.) backed out of the game due to injuries and low numbers.

As for the preparation for next Friday’s league opener at Lake City, Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett plans to keep things simple.

“It’s more about us and getting better,” Bennett said. “We’ve got to get a little better each day. We’ve got to keep practicing and getting some looks for Lake City, and getting some reps.”

In Friday’s 35-16 win at Lakeland, Post Falls attempted 11 passes, compared to 41 passing attempts in a nonleague loss to Mead on Sept. 7. Eli Gondo carried the ball 41 times against Lakeland for 164 yards and four touchdowns.

“I thought tonight was one of those nights were we played well in all three phases,” Bennett said after the game. “We’re young, so it’s the kind of game we needed to play against a really good Lakeland team.”

WHETHER IT be in league play, or a little further down the road, Friday’s game was a good indication of just what both Post Falls and Lakeland have learned about themselves in the first month of the season.

Now come the fun part, when the lessons really start to matter.

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 @JECdAPress.