Panhandle Picks With Greg Lee

The scribe didn’t have a perfect week, but he’s getting closer.

I picked eight of 10 games correctly and added to my lead against the Guests. Sandpoint talking head Bob Witte of KSPT-AM/KPND-FM radio tabbed seven correctly.

With four weeks remaining, the sportswriter is in good position: Lee 40 of 56 (.714), Guests 38 of 56 (.679).

My guest this week needs little introduction.

John Drager, who stepped down as head football and boys basketball coach at Mullan last year, will retire from teaching at the end of the school year.

Drager won more than a handful of games in his more than three decades of coaching. We suspect he can hold his own with a crystal ball, too.

To beat Drager will demand a trick play (or in this case an “Upset Special”). You won’t have to dig too deep before coming upon perhaps the season’s biggest “Upset Special” - perhaps the craziest pick since Lake City over Sandpoint two years ago.

Lewiston at Lake City: The Bengals are banged up. They will have a handful of players in new positions.

They aren’t the Bengals of last year.

While they possess more than enough offensive weapons to prevail in a shootout, the defense has too many holes for Lewiston to fix in three days. Lake City should be able to move the ball up and down the field behind quarterback Chad Troxel and fullback Scott Bushnell.

Logic says take the defending State A-1 Division II champs. Logic says LC hasn’t won a league game since the school opened four years ago. Logic says Lewiston has defeated LC by a combined 138-3 in three previous games.

So much for logic. LC 28, Lewiston 21.

Guest: Lewiston’s undefeated and No. 1 in the state and will be too much for a vastly improved Lake City team. It should be a great game. Lewiston 28, LC 21.

Sandpoint at Coeur d’Alene: Caleb Bowman down the left sideline. Caleb Bowman down the right sideline. Caleb Bowman down the middle.

Add quarterback Paul Nieman, running back Kurt Berkley and an ever-improving defenseto the equation and it will be a long night for the Vikings. Sandpoint 48, CdA 13.

Guest: Paul Nieman’s passing game will be too much for Coeur d’Alene. Sandpoint 35, CdA 6.

Post Falls at Mt. Spokane: Even the injury-troubled Trojans will find a way to keep the new Spokane school from collecting its first win. PF 20, Mt. Spokane 12.

Guest: After a tough loss to Chewelah, Post Falls will be ready to play. PF 21, Mt. Spokane 7.

Other picks

Greg Lee John Drager

Lakeland 42, B. Ferry 7 Lakeland 40, B. Ferry 14

Moscow 35, Kellogg 6 Moscow 28, Kellogg 14

P. River 35, Wallace 7 P. River 28, Wallace 12

F. Chrstn 36, Kootenai 32 Kootenai 20, F. Chrstn 14

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo