Gridiron Guesses: Coeur d'Alene, Lake City, Lakeland kick off their seasons

By MARK NELKE

and JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writers

North Idaho teams are used to having a game under their belts this time of year, when they take on Washington schools in those schools' season openers.

But when the Coeur d'Alene Vikings open their season Saturday vs. Lehi (Utah) at the Rocky Mountain Rumble at Madison High in Rexburg, the Vikings will be facing a Pioneers team that has already played two games, going 1-1.

“They’re a bigger school that has had some success,” Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos said. “We’ll be their third game and that will be a unique challenge. It will be a good opportunity to see where we’re at in a hurry. We can’t afford to make first-game mistakes and have to be game two or three ready. It’s going to be a great challenge to travel to Rexburg and play on the turf. Our kids are going to have to remember how to travel and do it right. The opener is going to show us a lot.”

Lehi lost its opener, 21-14 in overtime to Davis in Kaysville, Utah, where there used to be a Clover Club potato chip plant. The Pioneers beat Salem Hills 30-7 last week, as Carson Gonzalez ran for 171 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, and Jackson Brousseau was 16 of 19 passing for 223 yards and two TDs. The week before, Brousseau threw for 264 yards and a score against Davis.

Saturday's game is scheduled to be webcast on idahosports.com

A little closer to home — OK, a LOT closer to home — Lake City and Post Falls, the other 5A schools in the area, open their seasons tonight at 7.

Lake City travels to Lakeland, which opened last week with a 7-6 loss to Preston in Butte, Mont., and Post Falls plays host to Sandpoint.

After resuming their series three seasons ago after having not met since 2011, Lake City has won all three meetings with Lakeland, though all have been close — 40-27 in 2018, 34-28 in overtime, and 26-20 last year.

"It's a physical game, always," Lake City coach Brian Fulp said of the matchup with the Hawks.

Post Falls has won five straight vs. Sandpoint, and 14 of the last 15.

Sandpoint reached the state 4A semifinals last year, while Post Falls lost in the first round of the state 5A playoffs.

In other openers tonight, it's St. Maries at Kellogg, Wallace at Kootenai, Timberlake at South Fremont and Lewis County at Lakeside.

There was just one game to pick last week, and Mark and Jason have been sitting around with an 0-1 record since then, after Lakeland lost to Preston.

Even Gerry, our youngster on the news desk, took his alma mater in an unofficial prediction of sorts.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Friday's Games

Lake City (0-0) at Lakeland (0-1), 7 p.m.

MARK: There's high hopes for this year's junior class at Lake City, and many of them are expected to play key roles on varsity. Then again, Lakeland already has that first game under its belt.

Lake City, 28-20

JASON: Could be the best game of the night when it comes to the local selection. As for this one ...

Lakeland, 28-24

Sandpoint at Post Falls, 7 p.m.

MARK: Post Falls has dominated this matchup of late, though under some weird circumstances — one year the game was moved to the Kibbie Dome in Moscow due poor air quality, another year it was moved to Post Falls because of poor air quality in Sandpoint, another year a power outage in Post Falls forced the game to be resumed Saturday afternoon.

Post Falls, 28-20

JASON: I think what Mark's getting at is expect something weird tonight?

Sandpoint, 24-20

St. Maries (0-0) at Kellogg (0-0), 7 p.m.

MARK: The teams did not meet last year due to COVID-19, but St. Maries has had the upper hand in the other recent meetings.

St. Maries, 28-20

JASON: Like Sandpoint and Post Falls, these two played a game in the Kibbie Dome due to smoke a few years ago. Could be a fun game to watch.

St. Maries, 20-10

Wallace at Kootenai, 7 p.m.

MARK: Wallace won last year's matchup 12-6. How cool would it be for Jake Pfeiffer, QB on the last Kootenai team to qualify for the state playoffs in 2014, to be victorious in his first game as head coach at his alma mater?

Kootenai, 12-6

JASON: You know it's going to be a fun night when you get text messages from the athletic director a week before kickoff at 12:15 a.m.

Wallace, 14-12

Timberlake at South Fremont, 6 p.m.

MARK: South Fremont beat Timberlake 41-28 last year at Spirit Lake. Timberlake has nearly everyone back from last year.

Timberlake, 41-28

JASON: To get where it wants to go, Timberlake has to find a way to win on the road. I think the Tigers do tonight.

Timberlake, 35-27

Lewis County at Lakeside, 6 p.m.

MARK: Lakeside beat Lewis County 54-30 last year, en route to its first state playoff appearance since 2001.

Lakeside, 54-30

JASON: Lakeside learned a lot from last year's run to the state playoffs. Having Vander Brown back makes them a little more dangerous on offense.

Lakeside, 48-28

Saturday's Game

Coeur d’Alene (0-0) vs. Lehi, Utah (1-1) at Madison High, Rexburg, 10 a.m. PDT

MARK: Coeur d'Alene is used to long road trips — the Vikings twice trekked to Folsom, Calif., a few years back. Their game usually travels as well, enough to offset playing their opener against a team that has played twice already.

Coeur d'Alene, 28-20

JASON: Coeur d'Alene always seems to find a way to replace its star quarterback and keep the machine humming.

Coeur d'Alene, 33-20