More Than Bragging Rights At Stake

Since the Lake City-Coeur d’Alene football rivalry began in 1994, the intracity showdown has needed mounds of hype to spur interest in an anticipated blowout.

For the first time, though, the contest needs no extravagant pre-game promotion.

Here’s what is on the line Friday when Coeur d’Alene (3-2 overall, 2-0 in Border League) visits Lake City (4-0, 4-0):

City championship.

Bragging rights for the decade (CdA won the first four games, LC has won the last four).

Sole possession of first place in the Border League.

Inside track to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“There’s never been anything on the line before except the city rivalry,” LC coach Van Troxel said. “It’s probably the most evenly matched game in the (six-year) series. In the early stages, they were so much better than us. The last couple years, we’ve been much better. This is the closest we’ve ever been.”

CdA coach Shawn Amos believes his team has improved. How much will be determined Friday.

“We’re to a point where we’re not in the bottom tier anymore,” Amos said. “This is the kind of game to find out how close we are to the upper tier.”

Kickoff will be at 7 p.m.

CdA faces a difficult task of defending LC’s multiple offensive weapons - especially with the return of Pete Hamill (wingback/safety) and Luke Anderson (tight end). Hamill hasn’t played since suffering a bruised hip two weeks ago. Anderson sat out a week with a sore back.

Amos said LC’s success begins with its offensive line.

“That’s the strength of their team,” Amos said.

The Viks are the most balanced offensively in Amos’ three years. Quarterback Kyle Ahlf and running back Paul Ziegler, both juniors, lead CdA’s offense.

“What’s nice is we’re not asking one guy to win games for us,” Amos said.

CdA also has more depth than recent years. The Viks start just one true two-way player in junior Blake Whiteman (wide receiver/defensive back). Last year, CdA had eight two-way starters.

Both teams use about four players in spot duty both ways so fatigue shouldn’t be a factor.

LC escaped with a 21-20 win at Colville last week. CdA won 21-14 at Colville three weeks ago.

Several things contributed to LC’s closer-than-expected game at Colville. Troxel praised Colville’s effort, but said his team needs to make some corrections.

“We’ve got to go back to fundamentals and get better,” Troxel said. “We haven’t progressed as much as we’d desire. We have to have a couple of intense weeks to get where we want to go.”

Amos calls LC’s victory over Colville - where the T-Wolves stopped the Indians’ 2-point conversion attempt with 37 seconds remaining - an aberration.

“Lake City is better than that,” Amos said. “You have to look at the Cheney and Sandpoint games to see the real Lake City. Until we can compete with them they’re still the team to beat.”

In other Border games, injury-riddled Post Falls (2-2, 2-1) is at West Valley (0-3, 0-3); Colville (0-3, 0-3) goes to Sandpoint (2-2, 2-2); and Moscow (1-3, 1-2) travels to Cheney (2-1, 1-1).

In Intermountain League action, Lakeland (4-0, 2-0) travels to Grangeville (2-2, 2-0); Kellogg (3-1, 2-0) is at Orofino (1-3, 0-2); St. Maries (2-2, 1-1) goes to Priest River (2-1-1, 1-1) in a key matchup; and Timberlake (1-3, 0-2) visits Bonners Ferry (0-4, 0-2).

In a North Star League game, Clark Fork (0-3, 0-2), slightly favored in the preseason, goes to Falls Christian (1-3, 1-1).

In a Central Idaho League contest, Lakeside (0-4, 0-3) visits Wallace (2-2, 2-1).

In non-league games, Clarkston (1-2) is at Lewiston (2-2) and Mullan (2-1) goes to Troy (1-3).

Injury update

Senior quarterback Tyler Smith of Post Falls, who had to be taken to the hospital during the Trojans’ 28-7 loss to Lakeland last Friday, is out at least two weeks with a shoulder sprain and could be lost for the season, coach Jeff Choate said. Senior wide receiver/defensive back Kyle Hutchison, who started four games at QB on the junior varsity last year, replaces Smith.

One of the most bizarre injuries we’ve heard of in several years occurred two weeks ago when Kellogg rallied from a 12-0 deficit late to knock off St. Maries. Lumberjacks senior defensive back Pat Eberlin had to be taken to the hospital when he suffered a tear in his esophagus. It happened when he held his breath while being blocked. It was later discovered that Eberlin suffered a collapsed lung. Initially feared lost for the season, Eberlin may be able to return in two weeks.

This ‘n that

The LC-CdA game, usually played as a regular-season finale, had to be scheduled earlier to make the Border League schedule work.

CdA senior defensive tackle Robert Green, who broke a hand while jumping off Tubbs Hill this summer, finally played in his first game last week. Now Green is out until Oct. 8 after being suspended for an athletic code violation.

Defending A-1 Division II champ Eagle has lost two-year starting quarterback Brad Allen to suspension until the final regular-season game. Allen, who broke the school’s athletic code, began his suspension two weeks ago. Top-ranked Eagle (4-0) had no problem without Allen against Nampa, winning 41-14. The Mustangs will likely drop from the unbeaten ranks Friday when they take on Centennial (4-0), the Division I’s top-rated team. Centennial manhandled Lewiston, 54-22, last week.

Lakeland and Grangeville had different dates listed for this week’s game with Lakeland’s schedule listing the game as Saturday, the same day the game was played last year. Grangeville had it set for Friday. Administrators from the two schools conferred by telephone on Wednesday and agreed to play Friday.

SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL GET READY FOR THE SHOWDOWNS A pair of intracity soccer matches and a key border League volleyball match highlight the schedule beginning today. In a North Idaho boys soccer match, Coeur d’Alene (6-2-1 overall, 4-1-1 in league) visits Lake City (5-3-0, 5-1-0) at 4:30. In an earlier non-league match, CdA handled LC 4-1. In a match that could decide the Border League volleyball title tonight, CdA (13-4, 4-1) visits Sandpoint (16-1, 4-0) at 7:15. In a Border League girls soccer match Saturday morning, unbeatens CdA (10-0-1, 6-0) and LC (8-0-1, 5-0) clash at LC. The match begins at 11:30. The teams played to a 2-2 tie in a non-league match two weeks ago.