Farragut Draws Top Runners
Several top high school cross country runners in the region and state will highlight a quality field for the annual Farragut Invitational on Saturday.
The meet, hosted by Coeur d’Alene and Lake City high schools, will be at Farragut State Park, located about 25 miles north of Coeur d’Alene off U.S. Highway 95.
The course, which overlooks picturesque Lake Pend Oreille, offers several viewing points. The course’s staple, the 150-meter-long “goat hill,” grabs runners’ attention at the 2-mile mark of the race.
More than three dozen teams are expected to compete in two divisions: A (for schools with enrollment of 800 or more) and B (for schools with enrollment less than 800). Racing in nine events begins at 10 a.m. The B girls run at 12:20 p.m., followed by the B boys at 1, the A girls at 1:30 and the A boys at 2:10.
The A races will feature the top runners in Idaho. Billy Herman of Centennial, a two-time state champion, returns and will be seeking a third straight Farragut victory. Coeur d’Alene’s Chris Cole hopes to challenge.
Herman, a senior, will be out to break the boys course record of 16 minutes, 5 seconds, set in 1991 by Jason Uhlman of Lewiston.
Defending A-1 girls champion Susan Werner of Boise returns to defend her A title.
The meet will also feature a handful of Greater Spokane League and Frontier League schools as well as the top A/B teams in Eastern Washington.
A $2 fee will be charged to each vehicle entering the state park.
Poof, there goes Pluff
Ken Pluff of Lakeside was a player possessed during a 3-minute, four-touchdown scoring spree in the Knights’ 44-6 eight-man victory over Falls Christian last week.
The sophomore literally took the Lakeside offense into his own hands after a 45-minute game delay to transport injured teammate Buck Allen via ambulance off the Eagles’ field in Post Falls.
Allen, the Knights’ top running back, suffered a muscle pull and pinched nerve in his neck after he made a tackle with about 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
When play resumed, Lakeside quarterback Mario Falciano had to leave to have a badly bruised and swollen hand X-rayed.
Enter the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Pluff.
“He played the best 3 minutes of football in his life,” Lakeside coach Ron Miller marveled.
Pluff intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for a score, followed by a 60-yard TD pass completion, and looping crossfield TD runs of 40 and 45 yards.
Local sports on TV
K58DQ, a new local cable access station in Coeur d’Alene, has broadcast two high school football games and plans to broadcast five more local games and winter athletic events this year.
The games can be viewed tape delayed on cable (Channel 21) and VHF (Channel 58) on Saturdays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at 8 p.m.
This week, K58DQ will air the Lakeland at Coeur d’Alene game. Other games scheduled include: Sandpoint at CdA on Oct. 6, Lake City at Post Falls on Oct. 13, Post Falls at CdA on Oct. 20 and CdA at Lake City on Oct. 26. The KVNI radio broadcasts, featuring the play-by-play and color commentary of Jeff McLean and Steve Myklebust, are dubbed into the TV broadcasts.
The station will also broadcast the Lake City at CdA volleyball match on Oct. 7.
, DataTimes