Gridiron Guesses: Coeur d'Alene, Timberlake ready for their playoff openers

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

As is often the case, Coeur d'Alene and Timberlake are coming off first-round byes when they make their playoff debuts tonight.

But while Coeur d'Alene is at home tonight, where the Vikings usually are in the quarterfinals, Timberlake is on the road for the second straight year.

The Tigers can thank MaxPreps for that.

Coeur d'Alene (6-2), in the state playoffs for the 13th straight year, plays host to Eagle (8-2) tonight at 7 at Viking Stadium in the state 5A quarterfinals.

Timberlake (6-2), in the state playoffs for the 18th time in 19 seasons, travels to Gooding (8-0) for a state 3A quarterfinal game tonight at 5 PDT.

Coeur d'Alene's reward for winning that three-team Kansas tiebreaker last Monday in Moscow was a first-round bye in the playoffs. Lewiston, which earned the second seed from the 5A Inland Empire League, had to come back and play four days later, losing 44-13 at home to Capital of Boise.

Since the state 5A playoffs expanded from eight to 12 teams in 2014, Coeur d'Alene has not had to play in the first round since 20165, when the Vikings played in that game for the second time in three seasons. Each year since, Coeur d'Alene has had the first weekend off.

Coeur d'Alene last played Eagle in the 2016 quarterfinals, losing 48-39 at Eagle.

How big is playing at home in the playoffs for Coeur d'Alene?

The Vikings have not lost on their home field since 2015, when they fell 22-12 to Madison of Rexburg in the 5A quarterfinals. Before that, Coeur d'Alene's last playoff loss at home was to Eagle in the snow in the 2009 semifinals.

All told, Coeur d'Alene is 13-2 on its home field in the playoffs since 2009 — and that's not including a win over Mountain View in the 2017 semifinals, a game moved to the Kibbie Dome in Moscow due to poor field conditions at Viking Stadium.

If Coeur d'Alene wins tonight, the Vikings will play at home in the semifinals, against the winner of the game pitting Highland (8-2) of Pocatello at Rocky Mountain (7-2) of Meridian.

Eagle defeated Borah of Boise 31-15 at home last week in the first round. Mustang senior quarterback Jack Benson, a transfer from Arizona who played at Centennial his sophomore season, has thrown for 16 touchdowns and nearly 1,800 yards this season.

Eagle's only two losses have come to the top two teams in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference — by 20 points to Rocky Mountain and by 7 to Mountain View of Meridian.

Coeur d'Alene quarterback Brayden Bengtson's 15 touchdown passes have been caught by 10 different receivers.

From 2009-2019, Timberlake never left Spirit Lake for a playoff game. By winning the Intermountain League, the Tigers often received a first-round bye, and always played their first playoff game at home.

Last year, the 3As used a computer RPI system to seed the playoff teams. Timberlake, despite its IML title, was seeded eighth and was rewarded with a trip to top-seeded Homedale, where the Tigers fell 55-9.

This year, the 3As switched to MaxPreps rankings, and Timberlake was given the No. 7 seed, and a trip to No. 2 Gooding in the first round.

Gooding lost to South Fremont in the quarterfinals last year, but the Senators have not lost since.

Kurtis Adkinson is much of Gooding's offense. He has passed for 1,426 yards with 19 TD passes and five interceptions, and he's the leading rusher with 946 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Colston Loveland has caught 14 touchdown passes and ran for four scores.

Timberlake has never won a road playoff game — but then, the Tigers have only played six of them since 2003.

As for last week's picks, Mark went 3-0 and is 40-15 overall. Jason, whose Lakeland pick was looking good early, was 2-1 and is 36-19 overall.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Eagle (8-2) at Coeur d'Alene (6-2), tonight, 7 p.m.

NELKE: Coeur d'Alene has had some close calls at home in recent years in the playoffs — most recently vs. Mountain Home and Highland in 2019. But if the Vikings keep playing like they did in regular season finale spanking of Lewiston, and again in the Kansas tiebreaker ...

Coeur d'Alene, 38-20

ELLIOTT: With an extra week to prepare, Coeur d'Alene seems to just be better.

Coeur d'Alene, 34-24

Timberlake (6-2) at Gooding (8-0), tonight, 5 p.m.

NELKE: One of these days, Timberlake will break through on the road in the playoffs. One of these days ...

Gooding, 32-20

ELLIOTT: Timberlake seems to be hitting a good stride at the right time with three straight wins in league play.

Timberlake, 33-30