GRIDIRON GUESSES: Another week of schedules changing on the fly

By MARK NELKE

and JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writers

Of the four area high school football games scheduled this week, three of them were not on the original schedules when school athletic directors put their football schedules together.

Coeur d'Alene was scheduled to play Gonzaga Prep, but that game was canceled when Washington moved its prep football season to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vikings will instead host Lakeland.

Ditto Lake City, which was slated to face Ferris of Spokane. The Timberwolves will instead face Sandpoint in the first of two meetings this season with the Bulldogs.

And the same is true of Post Falls, which was scheduled to take on University of the Greater Spokane League. The Trojans will play at Lewiston in a nonleague game between 5A Inland Empire League teams.

And Lakeside's game with Clark Fork was originally slated to be played in Plummer, but was moved to Clark Fork. The teams hope to book another game later in the season at Lakeside.

Coeur d'Alene and Lakeland last met in 2009, when Coeur d'Alene won 57-7 at Rathdrum. The teams met every season from 1995-2007, with Lakeland's last win coming in 2001 (27-7). At the time, that was the Hawks' fifth win in seven seasons over the Vikings.

Lake City has won 13 of the last 16 meetings with Sandpoint. The Bulldogs won 39-14 last year in Sandpoint, a game in which Timberwolves quarterback Chris Irvin was lost for the season due to injury.

The teams are scheduled to meet again Oct. 2 at Lake City.

Post Falls will play host to Lewiston on Oct. 16 in a 5A IEL game.

As for the picks, Mark went 4-1, Jason 3-2, and now they're tied after two weeks. We'd rather not say what they are tied with, but for bookkeeping purposes, both are 5-4 overall.

HIGH SCHOOLS

All games tonight at 7 p.m. except where noted

Lakeland (1-1) at Coeur d'Alene (1-0)

NELKE: Sandpoint, one of Lakeland's soulmates in the 4A IEL, was unable to put up much resistance against the top-ranked 5A team in the state. Can the Hawks?

Coeur d'Alene, 49-7

ELLIOTT: Coeur d'Alene started fast last week on offense. The Vikings will do it again.

Coeur d'Alene 56-14

Lake City (1-1) at Sandpoint (0-2)

NELKE: Lake City is coming off a game where it racked up 50 points and lost. Sandpoint if facing a 5A squad for the third straight week.

Lake City, 42-22

ELLIOTT: If Lake City can throw the ball around the field again ...

Lake City 48-35

Post Falls (1-1) at Lewiston (2-0)

NELKE: The run-heavy Bengals are averaging 47.5 points per game, and are coming off a 58-50 win at Lake City. Post Falls has scored 77 points in two games.

Lewiston, 46-42

ELLIOTT: Post Falls should have beaten defending 5A champion Rigby at home last Friday.

Post Falls, 44-42

Lakeside (1-1) at Clark Fork (1-0)

NELKE: The Wampus Cats were idle last week after thumping Wallace 50-6 in their opener. Lakeside has scored 86 points and allowed 104 in its two games.

Clark Fork, 48-46

ELLIOTT: Lakeside might have a few more athletes on its roster. Clark Fork could be a playoff contender come October as well.

Lakeside, 42-36