GRIDIRON GUESSES: In, but with plenty still at stake
By MARK NELKE
and JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writers
Both teams are already in the state playoffs, but there's much on the line Friday night when Coeur d'Alene (6-0, 2-0 5A Inland Empire League) travels to Post Falls (5-2, 2-0) to decide the league title.
The winner earns a first-round bye next week. The loser plays a first-round home game next week, then would travel in the quarterfinal round.
Due to the lack of Washington schools to play in nonleague games this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many IEL teams played each other twice this year, just to help fill their schedules.
Three weeks ago, Coeur d'Alene routed Post Falls 48-7 at Viking Field in a nonleague game that was expected to be much closer.
"We will make sure to make that point this week," Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos said.
“It’s a big game,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “The last two years, we’ve played Coeur d’Alene for the league championship. Each year, we want to have a winning season and be in the playoffs, and we’ve done that so far. Coeur d’Alene is well coached and we’ll have to play our best game of the season. It’s hard to beat a team twice. It’s hard to beat Lewiston twice, Lake City twice. We know them really well, and they know us. But we’re excited to get to play them at home.”
Coeur d'Alene has won three straight league titles, and won or shared eight of the last 10. Post Falls' last league title in football was in 1995.
Lake City (2-6, 0-2 5A IEL) travels to Lewiston (3-5, 0-2) on Friday, with the winner holding out hope of snatching one of the two at-large berths to state playoffs. Last year, in the same situation, Lake City beat Lewiston and made the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
So, even though Lake City's season hasn't quite gone the way the Timberwolves expected, at least record-wise ...
"We’ve got to go down to Lewiston and be ready to play, and I think these guys will," Lake City coach Brian Fulp said. "We will go down there and we will fight, and we will compete. These seniors have worked so hard to change things in our program, and change the mentality. And they’re fighters. We will not lay down."
One potential roadblock for Lake City is its 0-5 record vs. 5A schools, which is one of the criteria. Lewiston enters the game 2-4 vs. 5A, including a win at Lake City earlier this season.
In the 4A Inland Empire League, the playoff picture is clear as mud.
Sandpoint (2-4, 1-0 4A IEL) can capture the league title with a win at Lakeland (3-3, 0-1). But Lakeland can force a tiebreaker by beating the Bulldogs.
Lakeland lost 30-22 to Moscow (3-1, 1-1) in the 4A IEL opener two weeks ago at the Kibbie Dome. Sandpoint then beat Moscow 31-21 at home last week.
Meanwhile, Timberlake (3-3, 2-0 Intermountain League) can win its third straight IML title, and 11th in 12 seasons, with a victory at winless Priest River (0-6, 0-2).
In 2A, St. Maries (1-1) makes its Central Idaho League season debut, hosting Orofino (1-1, 0-1). Orofino lost 42-0 to Grangeville last week. St. Maries plays at Grangeville next Friday in the final CIL game.
And Lakeside can capture its first state playoff berth since 2001, and win the inaugural Scenic Idaho Conference title, with a victory over Wallace at Sather Field in Silverton.
As for the picks, Mark and Jason both went 4-0 last week. For the season, Jason is 23-8, Mark 21-10.
HIGH SCHOOLS
All games Friday at 7 p.m.
Coeur d'Alene (6-0, 2-0 5A Inland Empire League) at Post Falls (5-2, 2-0)
NELKE: Thinking Post Falls will put up a much better fight on its home field. But ...
Coeur d'Alene, 38-20
ELLIOTT: Could be an entertaining game if both offenses get going.
Coeur d'Alene, 38-30
Lake City (2-6, 0-2 5A IEL) at Lewiston (3-5, 0-2 5A IEL)
NELKE: Haven't had much luck most weeks picking Lake City to win. So maybe going the other way will help the Timberwolves.
Lewiston, 24-20
ELLIOTT: Last year, Lake City blew out Lewiston to get into the playoffs in the final week of the season. Since the game is at Bengal Field ...
Lewiston, 27-24
Sandpoint (2-4, 1-0 4A Inland Empire League) at Lakeland (3-3, 0-1)
NELKE: Because a Kansas tiebreaker would be a fitting way for this season to end ...
Lakeland, 24-20
ELLIOTT: Lakeland was a few mistakes away from beating Moscow in the Kibbie Dome a few weeks ago. It was also the Hawks last game, so hopefully rust isn't a factor.
Lakeland, 17-14
Timberlake (3-3, 2-0 Intermountain League) at Priest River (0-6, 0-2)
NELKE: Ummm ...
Timberlake, 52-6
ELLIOTT: Timberlake keeps finding new ways to win ...
Timberlake, 48-12
Orofino (1-1, 0-1 Central Idaho League) at St. Maries (1-1, 0-0)
NELKE: Kinda crazy that, this deep into October, each team has played just two games. But that's COVID-19 in 2020. St. Maries hasn't played since Sept. 25.
St. Maries, 36-6
ELLIOTT: St. Maries needs this to set up a big game next Friday at Grangeville.
St. Maries, 26-14
Mullan-St. Regis (6-1, 2-0 North Star League) at Kootenai (0-4, 0-3)
NELKE: Kootenai forfeited to the Tigers-Tigers the first time around in league due to lack of bodies. Kudos to the Warriors, who have had enough players to finally take the field the past two weeks, after not being to play at all in 2019 because of low numbers.
Mullan-St. Regis, 56-6
ELLIOTT: This used to be quite the entertaining matchup when these programs were battling for state bids.
Mullan-St. Regis, 48-20
Lakeside (3-2, 1-0 Central Idaho League) at Wallace (1-4, 0-1)
NELKE: It might take the Knights a bit to shake off the rust, after sitting the past two weeks.
Lakeside, 36-24
ELLIOTT: The last time I picked against Wallace, I heard about it from the eye doctor. Sorry doc.
Lakeside, 44-20