Panhandle Picks With Greg Lee

I’m on a record pace.

Going into the fourth week, I’m picking a torrid .828 average.

I defeated guest Dave DeMers last week as I picked 11 of 13 games to his 10 of 13. Overall, the scoreboard reads: Scribe 29 of 35, Guests 27 of 35.

I could stub my toe here and there and still meet my season percentage goal (.800).

To DeMers’ credit, he picked Sandpoint to get its first win. The Bulldogs’ fourth-quarter rally propelled them to a 31-21 victory over visiting Cheney.

I walked to the other side of our Coeur d’Alene office to select this week’s guest, Bob Myklebust.

Myklebust, The Spokesman-Review’s CdA office manager, was a two-sport standout at Moscow High back before electricity. He played football for two years at the University of Idaho. He counts among his good friends Sandpoint assistants John Knowles and Mike McNulty, LC coach Van Troxel, former Post Falls coach Jerry Lee and longtime Post Falls assistant Steve Long.

Lake City at Cheney: The Frontier League vs. Inland Empire League series concludes Friday (Sandpoint is at East Valley in the other final league-to-league showdown). The Frontier is 3-2 against the IEL.

LC’s first legitimate victory early last year came against Cheney. This marks LC’s first competitive opponent this fall after easy victories over Coeur d’Alene, Clarkston and Moscow.

Cheney is smarting after watching a 21-17 lead in the third quarter dissolve at Sandpoint. The Blackhawks won’t have any trouble getting motivated this week.

The Blackhawks, favored to win their league, will also enjoy homefield advantage.

LC needs a convincing win against a quality opponent going into its biggest game of the season next week at home against Sandpoint. The T-Wolves respond. LC 28, Cheney 16.

Guest: You can’t stop Chad Troxel. You can’t vote against Lake City. LC 35, Cheney 14.

Sandpoint at East Valley: The Knights are 2-0 against the IEL and will be playing their home opener.

Sandpoint can’t afford to look past EV to next week (at LC). And the Bulldogs shouldn’t. After all, EV traveled to Sandpoint last year and promptly gave the Bulldogs a 35-14 spanking.

Of course, that loss promptly motivated Sandpoint the following week in its league opener against LC.

So, go figure. EV appears to be as good as last year. Sandpoint is improving after an 0-2 start. But because the game is on the road … EV 28, Sandpoint 24.

Guest: Sandpoint bounced back against Cheney. The Bulldogs are cookin’! Sandpoint 42, EV 21.

Coeur d’Alene at Lakeland: I’ve picked the Vikings to win the past two weeks, and they should have snapped their losing streak.

I’m not going to pick them this week. That’s not saying they can’t upset Lakeland. In fact, the game should be close.

If CdA coach Shawn Amos and his seniors can keep the ship together for one more week, another opportunity for Viktory will arrive next week. But CdA is running out of chances on its schedule.

Lakeland’s ground game is too much for the Viks. Lakeland 20, CdA 16.

Guest: Lack of experience for CdA. Lakeland has balance offensively. Lakeland 31, CdA 7.

Other games:

Lee Myklebust

Post Falls 20, Nampa 14 Nampa 24, Post Falls 21

Centen. 35, Lewiston 26 Centen. 35, Lewiston 21

B. Ferry 20, Kellogg 6 B. Ferry 28, Kellogg 20

St. Maries 45, Orofino 14 St. Maries 35, Orofino 21

T-lake 16, Wallace 15 Wallace 27, T-lake 14

F. Christian 46, Mullan 6 F. Christian 44, Mullan 16

Clark Fk 48, Kootenai 0 Clark Fk 45, Kootenai 28

Grangeville 34, P. Riv. 6 Grangeville 28, P. Riv. 21