Idaho preps gear up for football openers

Preseason practice started on Aug. 12 for 11 North Idaho high school football teams, and they’ll measure their progress with season openers beginning tonight.

Coeur d’Alene, which has captured two State 5A championships in the last three years, and Lake City hit the road while Post Falls stays home. CdA travels to the Portland area to face the West Linn Lions while LC goes to the Boise area to meet the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies.

Post Falls entertains the Capital Eagles from Boise. CdA and Post Falls kick off at 7 while LC goes at 6.

In other openers tonight, North Star League heavy favorite Wallace visits Kootenai; Kellogg goes to St. Maries; Mullan treks to the Kibbie Dome to take on Timberline/Weippe; and Grangeville is at Moscow.

In games Saturday, Libby (Mont.) visits Bonners Ferry and Clark Fork takes on Lewis County at the Kibbie.

Post Falls is excited to put a 2-7 season a year ago in the rear-view mirror. The Trojans expect a test from Capital, which has been picked third in the 10-team Southern Idaho Conference.

Capital is seeking to qualify for the state playoffs for a sixth straight year.

CdA was ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, and for good reason. The Vikings return a sturdy offensive line to go with some talented skill players. Coach Shawn Amos scheduled the first four games – three of which are long road trips – on purpose. He wants to challenge his players. The home opener, Sept. 13, is against two-time Washington State 4A champ Skyline.

LC also opens the season with a difficult challenge. Rocky Mountain is projected as the favorite in the SIC. Rocky Mountain welcomes a new coach, Scott Criner, son of former CdA coach Herb Criner. Criner, an ex-Boise State University assistant, was an assistant the past five years at Eagle.