GRIDIRON GUESSES: Lake City looks to make it a rivalry again with Coeur d'Alene
Gridiron Guesses 2024
Lake City High football coach Byron Hout remembers a time when Coeur d’Alene and Lake City were both regular participants in the state high school football playoffs.
Hout played at Lake City when the Timberwolves were in the midst of their run of 16 straight state playoff appearances.
In 2005 and 2006, Hout’s sophomore and junior seasons, Lake City defeated Coeur d’Alene in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. In 2006, Lake City went on to complete its undefeated run to its second state title.
“They were a good team when I was playing; it was always both teams going to the playoffs,” Hout said. “Bringing that back is good for both programs, we make each other better.”
Lake City (4-2) plays at Coeur d’Alene (4-2) tonight at 7 in the 6A Inland Empire League opener for both schools.
The city rivals met again in the quarterfinals in 2009 and 2010, Coeur d’Alene winning both years. Coeur d’Alene went on to win the state title in 2010, the Vikings’ first since 1985.
In those four head-to-head meetings, the regular-season game determined which team would host the rematch in the playoffs — usually the following week.
Eventually, Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos and then-Lake City coach Van Troxel pushed for a change in the playoff bracket, separating the North Idaho teams so one wouldn’t automatically cancel the other out in the first round, which eliminated the possibility of an all-North Idaho state championship game.
All told, there were 10 times Coeur d’Alene and Lake City both made the state playoffs in the same season, most recently in 2019, the last time Lake City qualified. Coeur d’Alene has made the playoffs in 14 of the last 15 seasons.
Lake City has four wins in a season for the first time since 2019, and only the second time since 2014.
“It’s the process,” said Hout, in his second year as head coach at his alma mater. “We’re all about the process, not the end result, doing things the right way, and the end results will take care of themselves, and the kids are starting to buy into it.”
This year in the three-team 6A IEL, two teams automatically qualify for the 12-team playoffs (with the top seed earning a first-round bye, and a home game in the quarterfinals). The third team is in the mix for an at-large berth.
“I think they’ve been taking good strides,” Amos said of Lake City. “Their quarterback can run around a little bit ... I think they’ve taken a step this year. They’ll be a bigger challenge. You win this game, and you’re probably in the playoffs. You lose a game, and you put yourself in a tough spot, so we don’t want to be in that spot.”
Post Falls (5-1) is at Moses Lake tonight, then plays host to Coeur d’Alene next week and travels to Lake City the following week in its 6A IEL games.
Lakeland (5-2) is idle tonight, then plays host to Sandpoint (3-4) next week in a HUGE 5A IEL contest. Tonight in a 5A IEL biggie, Sandpoint plays host to Lewiston (3-3), which used to be in the same league with Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls before dropping down a division with the new classification number boundaries.
Lakeland plays at Lewiston in two weeks.
Timberlake (2-5) is idle this week, while Bonners Ferry (3-3) travels to Moscow (5-2) in the Intermountain League opener. Moscow in a league with Sandpoint, Lakeland and Lewiston in all other sports, dropped down a division in football-only this year and next. The last two years, Timberlake and Bonners were the only IML teams in football.
As for the picks, though their picks differed on several games, Mark Nelke, Jason Elliott and Josh McDonald all went 5-2. For the season, Mark is 38-11, Jason 37-12, Josh 32-17.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
All at 7 p.m.
Lake City (4-2) at Coeur d’Alene (4-2)
NELKE: There have been some memorable games in this series, but it has been a while — perhaps the last one was Lake City’s 45-42 win at Coeur d’Alene in overtime in 2014 — Lake City’s only win over the Vikings since 2009. Might tonight feature a return to those memories?
Coeur d’Alene, 27-12
ELLIOTT: If Lake City can run the ball, it will be close.
Coeur d'Alene, 28-24
McDONALD: Had Cd'A won last week against Camas, I might've picked Lake City to get the upset on a hangover week. But alas, the Viks will host the Timberwolves in a game that might get a little ugly.
Coeur d'Alene, 30-14
Post Falls (5-1) at Moses Lake (4-1)
NELKE: Lotsa connections here. Moses Lake has wins over Sunnyside (35-21) and Eisenhower (49-0), teams Lake City both beat on the road. Moses Lake’s lone loss was to Rigby (47-12), one week after Coeur d’Alene beat Rigby.
Post Falls, 47-42
ELLIOTT: Post Falls sure looked impressive on offense and defense last week.
Post Falls, 45-35
McDONALD: This one has shootout written all over it.
Post Falls, 45-42
St. Maries (0-5, 0-1 Central Idaho League) at Grangeville (4-2, 2-0)
NELKE: Grangeville got an unexpected week off last week when Orofino forfeited “due to injuries and academic ineligibility,” the Idaho County Free Press reported. Both teams have played at Timberlake, with Grangeville winning 38-36 and St. Maries falling 41-14.
Grangeville, 38-14
ELLIOTT: A tough year for the Lumberjacks gets tougher. Hard to win in Grangeville anyway.
Grangeville, 35-20
McDONALD: Grangeville, 35-13
Coeur du Christ (1-4, 1-2 North Star League) vs. Lakeside (5-0, 3-0) at Marimn Health Coeur Center, Worley
NELKE: It’s rematch time in the North Star League, and the second time the teams will meet on the carpet in Worley, which is the home field for both schools. Lakeside won 60-32 in the season opener, which was Coeur du Christ’s first-ever football game. Coeur du Christ is coming off its second bye in five weeks.
Lakeside, 60-32
ELLIOTT: Lakeside has things rolling under first-year coach Jerry Louie-McGee. Could be a special team.
Lakeside, 54-30
McDONALD: A zero-week rematch that will highlight how much better the Knights have gotten since August.
Lakeside, 70-24
Clark Fork (0-4, 0-3 North Star League) vs. Wallace (5-1, 2-1) at Sather Field, Silverton
NELKE: Wallace won the first time around, 60-36 at Clark Fork.
Wallace, 60-36
ELLIOTT: Homecoming week for the Miners this week, with a bonfire on Wednesday night. The Miners light up the scoreboard tonight.
Wallace, 56-20
McDONALD: Hopefully the Miners stay focused on the task at hand and aren't already looking ahead to the rematch with Lakeside on Oct. 25.
Wallace, 60-40
SATURDAY'S GAME
Kellogg (2-4) vs. New Plymouth (2-4) at Prairie High, Cottonwood, 4 p.m.
NELKE: Kellogg will travel 185 miles, New Plymouth 193 for this meet-you-halfway matchup. New Plymouth lost by 10 points at Grangeville a few weeks ago.
New Plymouth, 28-26
ELLIOTT: Could be a trap game for the Wildcats looking ahead to playing Grangeville.
New Plymouth, 33-20
McDONALD: The Wildcats trounced New Plymouth a year ago. But that was then. The blueprint for beating Kellogg this year has become glaringly obvious. If the Pilgrims have a quality run game, it could be a long day for the purple and gold.
Kellogg, 24-20
STANDINGS
6A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Post Falls 0 0 5 1
Coeur d’Alene 0 0 4 2
Lake City 0 0 4 2
Friday’s Games
Lake City at Coeur d’Alene
Post Falls at Moses Lake
5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Lakeland 0 0 5 2
Sandpoint 0 0 3 4
Lewiston 0 0 3 3
Friday’s Games
Lewiston at Sandpoint
Lakeland is idle
INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Moscow 0 0 5 2
Bonners Ferry 0 0 3 3
Timberlake 0 0 2 5
Friday’s Games
Bonners Ferry at Moscow
Timberlake is idle
CENTRAL IDAHO LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Kellogg 2 0 2 4
Grangeville 2 0 4 2
Priest River 0 1 3 2
St. Maries 0 1 0 5
Orofino 0 2 1 4
Friday’s Games
St. Maries at Grangeville
Orofino at Priest River
Saturday’s Game
Kellogg vs. New Plymouth at Prairie High, Cottonwood
NORTH STAR LEAGUE
League Overall
W L W L
Lakeside 3 0 5 0
Wallace 2 1 5 1
Coeur du Christ 1 2 1 4
Clark Fork 0 3 0 4
Friday’s Games
Coeur du Christ vs. Lakeside at Marimn Health Coeur Center, Worley
Clark Fork at Wallace