Numbers game in football, volleyball
Its season isn’t over, but Coeur d’Alene’s most recent 5A Inland Empire League football title capped quite a decade for the Vikings.
Coeur d’Alene’s win over Post Falls last week gave the Vikings their third straight league title. Since 2010, Coeur d’Alene has won seven outright league titles and shared one league title, going 26-4 in league over that span.
The Viks were third in league in 2014, tied for first (with Lewiston) in ’15 and finished second (to Lewiston) in ’16.
All told, Coeur d’Alene coach Amos, in his 23rd season, has been a part of 11 league titles (won or shared) at Coeur d’Alene, starting with a share of the old Border League title in 2000.
Next week Coeur d’Alene will make its 11th straight appearance in the state playoffs, and 15th overall under Amos.
- And Amos recently noted the Vikings’s junior varsity program just finished back-to-back undefeated seasons, and has won its last 20 game. Coeur d’Alene’s last loss in JV ball was in 2017 against Camas.
“Pretty impressive considering the level of competition we play,” he said.
The Vikings have not lost a league game in four seasons — their last 5A IEL JV loss was to Post Falls in 2015.
- Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls are all in the state football playoffs in the same year since 2004 — and the only time for all three to make it in the same classification.
That year, Coeur d’Alene advanced to the state title game for the first time since 1987, losing to Twin Falls for the 5A title. Along the way, the Vikings beat Lake City in the first round.
Post Falls, in what would be its second-to-last year in 4A, lost at eventual champion Bishop Kelly in its first playoff appearance since 1998.
TWO YEARS ago, when state volleyball was last in North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene High hosted the 5A tourney.
With Friday’s play consisting of two matches scheduled to go on at the same time all day long, one of the matches was held in what was then the main gym, Jordan Court. The other was held in the auxiliary gym, Viking Court.
Each match had its own “stage,” as it were. But matches in Viking Court were a tight fit for fans, especially when Post Falls was playing.
As state returns this year, Post Falls and Lake City high schools both have auxiliary gyms as well. Post Falls is hosting the 5A tourney, Coeur d’Alene the 4A and Lake City the 3A.
Since state was here last time, Viking Court at Coeur d’Alene has been remodeled and is now the main gym, seating some 2,400.
But when tourney play begins Friday, play at all three sites will be held on two side-by-side courts in the main gyms.
Post Falls athletic director Craig Christensen said his auxiliary gym was too small, seating-wise, to handle the expected crowds.
And besides ...
“People really like to watch both (matches),” Lake City athletic director Jim Winger said.
“Fans get twice the bang for their buck,” Coeur d’Alene AD Mike Randles said.
Especially Friday at Post Falls High. There, Coeur d’Alene and Lake City are each scheduled to play their first matches at 11 a.m. If both won, they would both play a second-round match at 4 p.m. If either one lost in the morning, they would play a losers bracket match at 2 p.m.
On Saturday, when each tourney is whittled down to four teams, only one court is needed at each site.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.