An early look at high school football schedules

As of today, there are only 53 days remaining until the first day of high school football practice in Idaho.

With that in mind, here’s a look at each team’s football schedule in our coverage area.

Most football games are scheduled as a home-and-home series on a two-year cycle, with 2019 being the second year of that cycle. However, sometimes things come up, and some changes have to be made.

Coeur d’Alene: The only change to the Vikings’ schedule — Coeur d’Alene added a ninth game, at Central Valley of the Greater Spokane League, in Week 6 (Oct. 4), benefitting from the fact all GSL teams no longer have to play each other in football. The Vikings had just eight regular-season games last year, with a bye in Week 6, because they couldn’t find a ninth team to play.

Last season, Coeur d’Alene played Gonzaga Prep for the first time since 1982, winning 28-14 at home. This year, the Vikings play G-Prep on the Bullpups’ campus for the first time. Prep didn’t play games on campus until a decade or so ago — the Bullpups either played at Albi Stadium or Spokane Falls Community College.

Coeur d’Alene’s nonleague schedule goes: vs. Rigby (Aug. 30), at G-Prep, vs. Mead, at Eisenhower (Yakima), at Highland, at Central Valley. The Vikings open 5A Inland Empire League play Oct. 11 at home vs. Lewiston, visits Lake City the following week and hosts Post Falls the final week.

Lake City: The Timberwolves’ schedule is just like last year’s — with only the sites reversed. The only exception — Lake City will host Ferris for a second straight year. When it was Ferris’ turn to host, they were unable to schedule at Albi, so the schools decided to play both games at Lake City, and split the gate proceeds each year.

Lake City opens at Madison of Rexburg (Aug. 30). Then it’s Lewis and Clark at Albi, home vs. Ferris, home vs. Lakeland, then three straight on the road — at East Valley, Sandpoint and Post Falls (in the 5A IEL opener).

The T-Wolves host Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston the next two weeks.

Post Falls: The Trojans were also able to find a ninth game this year, also against a GSL foe — vs. Lewis and Clark at Albi Stadium on Oct. 4 (Week 6).

“We had an open date and they contacted me about playing,” Post Falls athletic director Craig Christensen said. “Worked out great for us.”

Last year, Post Falls played just eight regular-season games. The Trojans tried to add a game at Fife (Wash.) during the season, but Fife had to pull out, and Post Falls took the bye.

This year, Post Falls opens at home vs. Sandpoint (Aug. 30). Then it’s Mead at Albi Stadium, at University, home vs. Moses Lake and Lakeland, then Lewis and Clark at Albi.

The Trojans open league play Oct. 11 at home vs. Lake City, then visit Lewiston and Coeur d’Alene.

Lakeland: The Hawks did not have a Week 1 game last year, and weren’t scheduled for one this year.

So Lakeland posted on the Idaho High School Activities Association website that it was looking for a game that week. When a team from California pulled out of the season-opening Rocky Mountain Rumble at Holt Arena in Pocatello, Lakeland got the call and will face Blackfoot on Aug. 31 (a Saturday).

Blackfoot finished 4-6 last year. Lakeland was 3-5.

“Great way for us to start, I think,” Lakeland athletic director Mike Divilbiss said.

The rest of Lakeland’s schedule is the same — home vs. Rogers the following week, then at East Valley, at Lake City and at Post Falls, then home vs. Timberlake and West Valley. The Hawks open 4A IEL play Oct. 18 at Sandpoint, then host Moscow the following week.

Timberlake: Frenchtown (Mont.) was unable to play Timberlake in the Tigers’ opener this year, and Timberlake was unable to find a replacement.

“Believe me, I’ve tried,” Timberlake AD Jim Simpson said.

So the Tigers will have a bye for Week 1, but the rest of their nonleague schedule is similar to last year’s — at Freeman (Sept. 6), vs. Moscow, Rogers (on a Saturday night at Albi Stadium), home vs. St. Maries, then at Lakeland.

Timberlake opens Intermountain League play Oct. 11 at Bonners Ferry, then plays host to Priest River and Kellogg.

Simpson said Timberlake already has a Week 1 foe lined up in 2020 and 2021 — a home-and-home with South Fremont from eastern Idaho, with the first game in Spirit Lake. South Fremont is also a 3A school.

St. Maries: The Lumberjacks’ football schedule is an AD’s dream, no changes from last year, other than the sites being flipped.

St. Maries opens Aug. 30 at Kellogg, then is home vs. Medical Lake, Deer Park and Priest River, then travels to Timberlake and Bonners Ferry.

The Lumberjacks open Central Idaho League play Oct. 11 at home vs. Grangeville, then, following a bye, host Orofino to conclude league play.

North Star League: After five years of combining with the Whitepine League to form a White Star League in football, the NSL teams have their own league back. A glance at Lakeside’s schedule shows that the Knights, Kootenai, Clark Fork and the combine Mullan-St. Regis squad will face each other twice in league play.

During each of the the five years of the White Star League, no North Star team was able to earn one of the two playoff berths.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.