A Rocky time for Vikings ... Coeur d'Alene shut out by stingy Grizzlies defense

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

COEUR d’ALENE — With a chance to christen their new artificial turf field with a second signature win in as many weeks, the Coeur d’Alene Vikings ran into the swarming defense of the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies of Meridian.

Coeur d’Alene quarterbacks were sacked seven times, the Vikings committed four turnovers, and managed just 2 net yards rushing and 141 total yards for the game in a 16-0 loss on Friday night.

“Just like last week, we talked about, this is one game,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said, referring to last week’s 27-21 win over two-time defending state 5A champion Rigby in Missoula. “This is one game; we’ve got to get better from this, we’ll learn a lot from it, and you find out the character of your kids. No one’s patting you on the back. Now it’s respond time.

“We have a good group of kids, and a good group of leaders, and we’re confident they’re going to bounce back.”

Coeur d’Alene (1-1) entered Rocky Mountain territory just twice in the game — once on the first drive of the game before a sack thwarted that drive. The Vikings got as deep as the Grizzlies’ 24 each time.

“Rocky’s just good,” Amos said. “We turned the ball over way too many times. You can’t do that, and beat a team like Rocky, so we’ve got to take care of the ball better.”

Still, the Vikings’ terrific defense kept them in it for most of the game, forcing five Rocky turnovers.

But late in the first half, with the Vikings down 3-0, Rocky linebacker Brody Swearhart intercepted a Cd’A pass and returned it 19 yards to the Viking 11. Two plays later, Jaryn Ikebe took a short pass from Gunnar Thompson in the left flat, juked a defender and ran it in from 10 yards out with 5 second left in the half. Rocky led 9-0 at halftime.

“Teams like that, you can’t give them that field position, give them opportunity after opportunity by turning the ball over,” Amos said. “We’ve got to take care of the ball better.”

Swearhart then picked off another pass late in the third quarter and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown to complete the scoring.

“We’re really young,” said Rocky coach Scott Criner, in the first year of his second stint with the Grizzlies. “We start four sophomores on the offensive line, and one junior. We start a total of seven sophomores and 11 juniors. And just the fact we grew from Week 1 to Week 2, that’s all I’m looking for.”

Rocky totaled 296 yards, with Thompson completing short pass after short pass to the tune of 25 completions for 213 yards. And all told, Rocky had the ball 12 times in Coeur d’Alene territory, but the five turnovers and a missed field goal on their opening drive kept the Grizzlies from pulling away.

Rocky fumbled at the Viking 1 on its second possession, and Nolan Christ recovered. Rocky had a receiver wide open in the end zone on the next drive but the pass was way underthrown, and Kai Wheeler intercepted.

In the second half, Tucker Booth and Owen Harris recovered fumbles for the Vikings, and Shea Robertson had an interception.

“I thought our defense played really well,” Amos said. “Our defense gave us takeaways, and then we gave the ball away too much.”

Junior linebacker Isaiah Reed of Rocky also spent a lot of time in the Coeur d’Alene backfield, as the Grizzlies continually came up big to quelch any Viking threat.

“They’re really good,” Criner said of his defense. “They play. They’re physical, and they play.”

Coeur d’Alene defensive end Camden DeGraw, who has verbally committed to Washington State, left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury and didn’t return.

“That’s a good football team,” said Criner, son of former Coeur d’Alene coach Herb Criner, of the Vikings. We’ll see those guys again. There’s no question in my mind; that’s a good football team.”

Coeur d’Alene plays at Sandpoint (0-1) next Friday.

Rocky Mtn. 0 9 7 0 — 16

Coeur d’Alene 0 0 0 0 — 0

Second quarter

Rocky — FG Shawn Thompson 27, :44

Rocky — Jaryn Ikebe 10 pass from Gunnar Thompson (pass failed), :05

Third quarter

Rocky — Brody Swearhart 44 interception return (S. Thompson kick), 1:40

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Rocky, Adams 4-20, G. Thompson 4-15, J. Thompson 0-4, Reese 6-12, Kimble-Turner 8-45. Cd’A, Harris 10-10, Kizziar 10-(minus 7), Myers 8-14, Neff 3-0, Rook 4-(minus 15).

PASSING — Rocky, G. Thompson 25-36-1-213. Cd’A, Kizziar 10-14-2-72, Rook 5-8-0-67.

RECEIVING — Rocky, Ikebe 12-74, Reese 3-27, Benedick 5-54, Byrd 1-30, J. Thompson 2-17, Adams 2-11. Cd’A, Robertson 3-59, Cameron 1-(minus 3), Booth 3-32, Petree 3-26, Coey 2-25, Harris 2-(minus 4), Wheeler 1-4.