Is Iel Race Now Wide Open?

The first two weeks of the high school football season saw the Inland Empire League’s top teams dominate opponents.

Then along came Week No. 3. The results provided hope for at least one team hoping to jump from the cellar into the hunt for a state playoff berth.

Defending State A-1 Division II champion Lewiston stumbled to a 14-14 tie with Cheney; Sandpoint, the team expected to have the best chance of challenging Lewiston, fell 41-28 at Borah; and traditional playoff qualifier Post Falls watched a 20-7 lead dissolve in a 27-20 loss to East Valley.

That prompted Lake City coach Van Troxel to smile and offer the following:

“Lewiston’s got a little chink in the armor and Sandpoint’s got a little chink in the armor.”

Troxel’s Timberwolves (3-0), who have already matched a team record for most wins in a season, meet Cheney on Friday before beginning IEL play with consecutive games against Sandpoint, Lewiston and Post Falls.

This will easily be the most difficult stretch on the T-Wolves’ schedule. They finish with games against Lakeland and Coeur d’Alene.

“We’ve known Cheney’s good, they’re always good, but they’re not the Cheney of the past,” Troxel said. “They played well against Lewiston, but seven interceptions has a lot to do with it. They’re not unbeatable because Post Falls proved that two weeks ago. The kids know going into the middle third of the season that, if we play together and play hard, we can win. The next three to four weeks will come down to discipline and execution. The team that’s most disciplined and executes will win.”

Troxel said his team has no reason to look beyond Cheney to its IEL opener at Sandpoint.

“We can reach another milestone this week,” he said. “We never won more than three games in a season before. And this is the fourth year we’ve played Cheney and we’ve never won. Cheney will supply us with enough motivation. It should be a great game.”

In an IEL opener, Post Falls (1-1-1) visits Lewiston (2-0-1).

Taking a look at one common opponent, Lewiston thumped East Valley 41-3 while Post Falls let a possible victory slip away against the Knights last week.

But throw in another common opponent, Cheney, and one would have to conclude that Post Falls has more than a fair chance at Lewiston. The Trojans rallied on the last play of the game two weeks ago to top Cheney 20-14.

Go figure.

Here’s what the game boils down to: Post Falls must be able to mix the run with the pass to be able to move the ball and score. Post Falls must do what Cheney did and contain Lewiston’s highly explosive passing game and speed.

If that occurs, the game will be close.

In other games, Lakeland (1-1-1) visits Coeur d’Alene (1-2) and East Valley (1-1) is at Sandpoint (2-1).

In a pair of Intermountain League games, Priest River (4-0, 1-0 in league), coming off a big upset of St. Maries, goes to Kellogg (0-3, 0-1) and Moscow (0-3) goes to Bonners Ferry (1-2) in a league opener for both teams.

Elsewhere, Wallace (3-1) is at St. Maries (3-1); Clark Fork (2-2, 2-1) goes to Lakeside (3-1, 3-0); Falls Christian (2-2, 1-2) visits Mullan (0-3); and Kootenai (2-2) travels to Colton, Wash. (2-0).

What they’re saying

Sandpoint coach Satini Puailoa on Lewiston’s 14-14 tie with Cheney: “You know we’re all going to have the tape of that game.”

Ditto the tape of Sandpoint’s 41-28 loss to Borah.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Cheney, they played well, but we stunk it up,” Lewiston coach Nick Menegas said. “We made every possible mistake you can make. We had eight turnovers, 110 yards in penalties, five first downs called back because of penalties, blown coverages. We haven’t had one of those nights in a long time.”

And the Bengals still had a chance to win.

“We’re in field-goal range with about 20 seconds left and we’re called for pass interference. It was a legitimate call. I told them after the game that I’m working twice as hard this week and I expect the same out of (them). We’ve gone back to written exams and double-days philosophy. We’ve had a lot of chalkboard time this week.”

Look who’s tied for first in the IML.

Although disgusted with his team’s 7-6 loss at Priest River, St. Maries coach Curt Carr said the Spartans’ win was no fluke.

“They’re the best Priest River team I’ve ever seen,” Carr said. “But for us it was a slap in the face. We definitely needed it.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IHSAA EXPANDS TOURNEY Expansion was on the menu at the Idaho High School Activities Association’s meeting Tuesday in Coeur d’Alene. Beginning next fall, the State A-4 volleyball tournament will double in size to 16 teams. The A-4 boys and girls basketball tournaments were expanded to 16 last year, and they were wellreceived by small-school fans. Mullan athletic director John Drager asked the board to consider implementing expansion this fall. But his request was denied.