Vikings roll to another league title

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

POST FALLS — The home team, despite entering its season finale with just one victory, came to play. 

The visiting team, after a couple of early turnovers, looked like the top-ranked team in Idaho's largest classification. 

The Coeur d'Alene Vikings rolled up 459 yards of offense, many on chunk plays through the air, and held the Post Falls Trojans out of the end zone until late in a 41-10 victory Friday night at Trojan Stadium that wrapped up the 6A Inland Empire League championship for the Vikings (9-0, 2-0). 

"It always means something," said Coeur d'Alene coach Shawn Amos, in his 30th season. "These seniors get to walk off with a league title; that's something nobody can take away from you. We went, program-wide, 9-0 in league, so that's a good accomplishment." 

Coeur d'Alene won its fourth straight league title, and has won or shared nine of the last 10 league titles, and won or shared 14 of the last 17 league titles.

Tannar Stern passed for 280 on just 12 completions for the Vikings, who earned a first-round bye in the playoffs, and will return to action in two weeks at home in a state 6A quarterfinal game. 

On Friday, Coeur d'Alene turned the ball over on two of its first three possessions. 

The Vikings took the opening kickoff and marched to the Post Falls 1, where a shotgun snapped sailed over Stern's head and Cody Matthews recovered for Post Falls (1-8)  at the 14. 

Two drives later, down just 3-0 early in the second quarter, the Trojans stripped the ball away from a Viking receiver near midfield, and Henry Griffin recovered at the Trojan 38. 

But Post Falls fumbled the ball back to the Vikings three plays later, and Coeur d'Alene drove 42 yards for a touchdown, Oliver Strait taking it the final 4. 

After Max DeMarre's interception and return to the Post Falls 16, Bear Coleman ran it in two plays later from the 10.  

On the next drive, Stern's 54-yard completion to Gibson Comstock set up Strait's 2-yard run. Coeur d'Alene led 24-3 at the half. 

"Sometimes that happens," Amos said of the turnovers. "The kids responded, stayed locked in. Sometimes you need a little adversity to test you out." 

Stern hit on several other big passes during the game — 34 yards to Logan Melville on the second play of the game, 36 yards to Comstock, 55 to Jackson Schillinger. 

"We like our matchups, with our receivers and most DBs," Amos said. "We wanted to take some shots. We actually didn't complete as many as I thought we would." 

Comstock finished with four catches for 103 yards. Stern accounted for 69 of Coeur d'Alene's 171 rushing yards.  

"I thought Post Falls played tough," Amos said. "They came out fired up and ready to go."   

Backup quarterback Griffin Carpenter and Wesley Diaz connected on a 58-yard pass-and-run touchdown with just over 2 minutes remaining for Post Falls' lone TD. 

"I thought our seniors did a good job," Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. "They stayed focused all year long. They came out and competed tonight. 

"Congratulations to Coeur d'Alene; they'll go deep in the playoffs," Bennett added. "Shawn does a great job over there and they have another great team, and I wish them the best." 

Coeur d'Alene     3    21    14    3    —    41 

Post Falls     0    3    0    7    —    10 

First quarter 

Cd'A — FG Frankie Lopez 28, :37 

Second quarter 

Cd'A — Oliver Strait 4 run (Lopez kick), 6:55 

Cd'A — Bear Coleman 10 run (Lopez kick), 5:08 

Cd'A — Strait 2 run (Lopez kick), 1:12 

PF — FG Bradyn Singleton 28, :00 

Third quarter 

Cd'A — Tannar Stern 5 run (Lopez kick), 7:34 

Cd'A — Stern 2 run (Lopez kick), 2:06 

Fourth quarter 

Cd'A — FG Lopez 40, 5:10 

PF — Wesley Diaz 58 pass from Griffin Carpenter (Singleton kick), 2:06 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — Cd'A, Stern 13-69, Strait 7-37, Coleman 4-21, Paulin 7-40, McCooey 2-6, McClelland 1-1, Gatten 1-(minus 3). PF, Foreman 9-25, Schmitt 11-11, Carpenter 2-8. 

PASSING — Cd'A, Stern 12-19-0-280, Gatten 1-3-0-8. PF, Schmitt 14-28-1-98, Carpenter 3-3-0-72. 

RECEIVING — Cd'A, Comstock 4-103, Schillinger 3-85, Coleman 2-22, Hackett 2-36, Melville 1-34, Paulin 1-8. PF, Ostlund 8-64, Zuniga 3-15, Diaz 5-80, Smith 1-11. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Post Falls senior quarterback Phillip Schmitt (2) is chased by junior Ty Ball (71) and senior Dawson Riley (52) of Coeur d'Alene in the first half Friday night at Trojan Stadium.