Panhandle Picks With Greg Lee

Thanks to the Lakeland and Post Falls football teams finishing in a tie, the sportswriter and the guest also deadlocked last week.

My season-opening guest, Jerry Lee, naturally picked his former Post Falls team to continue its winning ways against Lakeland. Although I suspected the teams were evenly matched, I gave Lakeland the nod for no other reason than to counter my guest.

We were both wrong. But both of us managed to pick eight of 10 correctly, a respectable showing for the opening week of the season.

This week’s guest is Lakeland High vice principal Van Tuinstra. This is Tuinstra’s last year at Lakeland because he will become the principal at Timberlake High when it opens next year in Spirit Lake.

Sandpoint at Lakeland: The best game between North Idaho teams in an otherwise unattractive second-week schedule.

Lakeland managed just two touchdowns against Post Falls, which entered the season with several question marks defensively. The Hawks will find it difficult to score against a sizeable Sandpoint defensive front.

And for Lakeland to knock off Sandpoint it will have to contain the Bulldogs’ speedy wide receiver, Caleb Bowman, and limit the Bulldogs to three touchdowns or less. It’s not going to happen. Sandpoint 24, Lakeland 6.

Guest: Lakeland players have a lot of character and they’ll improve with every game. They need to prove to themselves they’re capable of winning the important games. Lakeland 23, Sandpoint 20.

Clarkston at Lake City: The Bantams would finish no higher than fourth if they were in the Inland Empire League, perhaps fifth.

And Lake City served notice in impressive fashion last week that it will be vacating the IEL basement this season. LC moves closer to matching its wins of last year (three). Lake City 28, Clarkston 13.

Guest: LC has established tradition quickly and will dump Clarkston. LC 18, Clarkston 14.

Mt. Spokane at Coeur d’Alene: The new Greater Spokane League school may be in its first year, but the Vikings are fielding a first-year-level team, too.

The Viks will encounter difficulty. But I’ll take CdA in a mistake festival. CdA 19, Mt. Spokane 13.

Guest: Mt. Spokane is not playing seniors and it’s the first year of the program, so this is CdA’s chance to snag a victory. CdA has good receivers if the ball can get to them. CdA 13, Mt. Spokane 7.

Cheney at Post Falls: It’s too bad these teams didn’t play the last couple of years during the Austin Lee/Josh Mort era.

The Blackhawks figure to challenge East Valley for the Frontier League championship.

Post Falls should show improvement over the first week and the Trojans are playing at home. Call this pick a hunch. PF 20, Cheney 19 (perhaps a tie!).

Guest: Post Falls will play better after a tie with Lakeland. However, Cheney will emerge with the win. Cheney 21, PF 13.

Other picks Greg Lee Van Tuinstra Lewiston 27, E. Valley 20 Lewiston 28, E. Valley 17 Moscow 28, Pullman 14 Moscow 21, Pullman 20 St. Maries 20, Riverside 18 St. Maries 21, Riverside 14 Wallace 35, Prairie 18 Prairie 18, Wallace 6 P. River 21, Newport 12 P. River 13, Newport 8 Salmon 19, Kellogg 12 Salmon 18, Kellogg 13 Chewelah 30, B. Ferry 6 Chewelah 39, B. Ferry 6 C. Fork 34, Colton 18 C. Fork 24, Colton 19 Lakeside 42, FCA 18 FCA 31, Lakeside 20 Kootenai 30, Mullan 12 Kootenai 27, Mullan 15

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