Cda Rated 2Nd In Poll
If the preseason votes mean anything, the Lewiston High School football team should defend its Idaho A-1 Division II state championship.
Lewiston, which capped a 10-2 season by defeating Madison of Rexburg in the title game last year, received five first-place votes and was ranked No. 1 in the Division II poll by the state’s sportswriters and sportscasters in The Associated Press preseason poll released Friday.
Coeur d’Alene, which finished 6-4 in its final season at the Division I level, will compete in Division II with Lewiston. The Vikings were ranked second behind the Bengals with three first-place votes.
Rounding out the Division II poll are Madison, Caldwell and Blackfoot. CdA’s newest high school, Lake City, and Post Falls each received votes.
Pocatello’s Highland High School, meanwhile, is the unanimous selection to repeat as the top team among Idaho’s largest schools.
The Rams were selected over the Capital Eagles of Boise, who lost the title to Highland, 37-13, in 1993’s A-1 Division I championship game.
Rounding out the top five among the biggest schools are Pocatello, Borah and Boise.
Last year’s champions were also picked to repeat in three of the other five classifications.
Defending A-3 champion Fruitland and runner-up Glenns Ferry were selected to go 1-2 this fall with 1991 and ‘92 titlist Homedale third followed by Teton and Lapwai.
Rimrock was picked to defend its 1993 A-4 championship with Murtaugh, Mackay, Oakley and Wilder completing the top five.
But in A-2, Weiser was selected to avenge its 38-24 championship loss to Preston in 1993 with Preston playing the runner-up role this fall. Lakeland, Jerome and Bonners Ferry filled out the ratings.
Among the smallest schools, 1993 eightman champion Deary suffered the biggest devaluation. The Mustangs were picked third in the pre-season poll while Kendrick, a semifinalist last year, claimed the top spot. Carey, which lost to Deary in the championship game last year, was picked second. Notus and Shoshone round out the top five.
CdA hoops festival: A record 239 teams will take to the streets near North Idaho College today and Sunday for the sixth annual Coeur d’Alene Shootout 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
Shootout officials hope to raise $20,000 for local charities and high schools.
Play will be held on 27 courts, with 19 divisions of men, women, boys and girls beginning this morning at 9. The title games will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at center court.
The women’s open division final is scheduled for 10:30 and the men’s open final for noon.
One of the local women’s teams, the Coeur d’Alene Wolves, features two-time Idaho high school player of the year Heather Owen of Moscow, who is headed to Stanford on a full-ride scholarship. Her teammates are Lake City High players Jennifer Kerns, Melissa Dodge and Nicole Nipps. The trio played key roles in leading CdA High to a State A-1 championship and undefeated season (25-0) last winter.