FIGHT FOR THE FISH: Lake City boys handle Coeur d'Alene; Cd'A girls come on strong in second half to down T-Wolves

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

COEUR d’ALENE — Kendall Omlin has been part of spirit games before — but nothing like this.

Zach Johnson has been part of this spirit game before — but not since 2020.

Both played key roles in their teams’ victories Friday night, as the Fight for the Fish spirit games between Coeur d’Alene and Lake City high schools returned for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Omlin, a senior transfer from Ferris High in Spokane, keyed a third-quarter surge that lifted the Coeur d’Alene Viking girls, ranked No. 4 in the state 5A media poll, to a 54-41 victory over the No. 2 Lake City Timberwolves at Coeur d’Alene High’s Viking Court.

Johnson, also a senior, then scored 15 points as top-ranked Lake City put four players in double figures and put on a solid defensive show in a 77-52 triumph over No. 3 Coeur d’Alene.

Omlin played in the Rubber Chicken spirit game vs. Lewis and Clark the last three years, all games at the spacious Spokane Arena.

“This one’s so much more intense,” Omlin said. “The rivalry is so much bigger. We were playing in the Arena, so it wasn’t very loud. I just felt engaged with the fans (tonight), and it was really fun. I love these type of games; I think these are what high school is all about.”

Johnson and teammate Kolton Mitchell were the only boys to play in a previous Fish game.

“We didn’t really have any real ones the last two years because of COVID, and so we were real excited, and we were ready to go from the start,” Johnson said.

An overflow crowd of some 2,400 looked on as Lake City High won the spirit competition for the 17th time in the 23 years of the Fish games.

BOYS

Lake City 77, Coeur d’Alene 52: Nathan Hocking scored 21 points for Lake City (11-0, 1-0 Inland Empire League). Kolton Mitchell added 12 and Deacon Kiesbuy 11 as the Timberwolves got off to a strong start and kept the Vikings at bay.

“I thought we played good defense,” Lake City coach Jim Winger said. “The second half we could have cleaned some things up; we looked a little hurried, and kept stopping the clock, up 20-something. I thought we played pretty good; but you win by 20-something and you score 77 points, but I think we can play better. I think we can play smarter. But defensively, we’re getting better every week. Defensively, we’re really getting after it.”

Sophomore Cason Miller scored six points, hitting back-to-back 3s early in the second quarter to help Lake City open up a 28-14 lead. The T-Wolves led by as much as 22 points in the first half before settling for a 42-24 lead at intermission.

“I was glad to see that,” Winger said of Miller, “because he can shoot the ball, but he’s hard on himself. He wants to be perfect, and in this game, you’re never going to be perfect. I was glad to see him cut it loose, because he’s spent a lot of time on his own, shooting the ball, and I think he can shoot a good percentage, but he’s got to allow himself to do it, and that was nice to see tonight.”

Blake Buchanan added nine points and nine rebounds for Lake City, but Hocking, Johnson, Kiesbuy, etc., were there to pick up the scoring slack. Johnson also had eight rebounds, Mitchell five assists.

“This entire week we just focused on what we need to focus on,” Johnson said. “They’re a good basketball team, but when we just do what we need to do, it takes care of itself and we win by 25. They’re a good 3-point shooting team, but our game plan was to try to take them out of their rhythm, and not let them get good looks.”

Coeur d’Alene shot 13 of 46 from the field, including 6 of 23 from 3-point range.

Lake City shot 28 of 63 from the floor, but just 14 of 26 from the line, including six straight misses midway through the third quarter.

“They hit shots,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jon Adams said. “We had a game plan; we thought our bigs actually held their bigs at bay; I think we held Kolton at bay. Their support players shot very well. Nate shot well, Zach shot well. We actually thought we executed what we wanted, and we were in it, fighting in the third quarter, but at the same time, they hit shots. They hit tough shots.”

Steven Burgess, saddled with foul trouble in the first half, finished with 12 points for Coeur d’Alene (9-4, 1-1), as did freshman Caden Symons. Alexander Nipp had 10 points and six rebounds, Logan Orchard 10 points for the Vikings.

On Tuesday, Lake City plays host to Post Falls, and Coeur d’Alene travels to Lewiston.

Lake City 20 22 18 17 — 77

Coeur d’Alene 14 10 19 9 — 52

LAKE CITY — Buchanan 9, Strawn 2, Hill 0, Miller 6, Kiesbuy 11, Johnson 15, Mitchell 12, Snow 1, Hocking 21.

COEUR d’ALENE — Larson 0, Orchard 10, Cherny 0, Smith 0, Nipp 10, Entzi 4, Rupp 4, Burgess 12, Symons 12, Ivankovich 0, K. Wheeler 0.

GIRLS

Coeur d’Alene 54, Lake City 41: The Timberwolves led 21-20 at halftime before the Vikings took over in the second half.

Libby Awbery hit a 3-pointer for Coeur d’Alene (13-2, 4-0 IEL) moments into the third quarter. The left-handed Omlin hit a 3, then added a three-point play and then scored on the fast break to increase the Vikings’ lead to seven midway through the quarter.

Omlin also had seven rebounds.

“We just told the girls to relax and play,” Coeur d’Alene coach Nicole Symons said of the second half. “I think we had some nervous energy at the beginning. Kendall Omlin was a difference-maker for us tonight; she’s just physical, she’s strong, she’s mentally strong, she’s a great teammate. I’m just so happy for her to be able to play with this team, and have fun playing. It was fun watching her go.”

“I’m very much a pass-first guard, and Nicole told me that I need to look to score first, and look for them to stop me.” Omlin said, “Once I make one basket, I just gain a lot of confidence, and I feel like once I hit that first shot it just got me going.”

Madi Symons, who became Coeur d’Alene’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday, didn’t score in the first three quarters on Friday. But the Wyoming signee scored three quick baskets to open the fourth quarter, helping the Vikings open up a double-digit lead. She also had nine rebounds, four steals and four assists.

Junior guard Teagan Colvin of Coeur d’Alene led all scorers with 18 points.

“I think we were a little more patient on offense, which led us to score; and when you score, you get energy,” Nicole Symons said. “And then I think it transferred on to the defensive end.”

“The game sped up in the third quarter, which I thought would help us, but we didn’t capitalize on some good opportunities, and it completely changed the game,” Lake City coach James Anderson said. “We have to finish more shots and take care of the ball better in a game like that.”

Junior Avery Waddington led Lake City (13-3, 4-1) with 16 points. She also had eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Junior Sophia Zufelt added 10 points and nine rebounds for the T-Wolves.

On Tuesday, Lake City plays host to Post Falls, and Coeur d’Alene travels to Lewiston.

Lake City 14 7 11 9 — 41

Coeur d’Alene 13 7 17 17 — 54

LAKE CITY — Frazey 0, Pickford 7, Bowman 2, Zufelt 10, Waddington 16, McKellips 2, Holzer 2, Reynolds 2, Zimmerman 0.

COEUR d’ALENE — Colvin 18, Mitchell 5, Awbery 5, Omlin 14, Symons 6, Lopez 0, Holecek 3, Legg 0, Carroll 3.