Mind Games Take Toll On Wv Eagles

A number of West Valley High School football players sat slumped in the school gymnasium, heads in hands following their 35-7 loss to Coeur d’Alene.

The scene provided a visual metaphor for the Eagles’ woes, whose 12th straight grid loss was more a case of mind than of matter.

A school with an enrollment closer in size to members of the 2A Great Northern League could take solace in the fact its first three Border League losses were to foes closer in size to schools in the 4A Greater Spokane League.

But the players weren’t buying that reasoning. The Eagles played the teams, which between them have won 10 of 12 games, tough.

“They have a lot more kids in their schools, but that’s about it,” said two-way back Matt Risley. “We’ve matched up with them. I don’t think it was an effect at all.”

Fellow senior Jordan Allen, who seemed to be in on every first-half tackle from his middle linebacker position, concurred.

“I don’t think we have been intimidated at all,” a distraught Allen said following the game. “If we could just get a win, we would turn everything around.”

The Eagles’ problems haven’t necessarily been the result of being outplayed physically. After surrendering 17 first-half points to 3-1 Sandpoint, they shut the Bulldogs out in the second half.

Against formidable Lake City, also 3-1, WV led 13-6 at halftime before succumbing 34-13.

And against Couer d’Alene, were it not for turnovers that resulted in four Vikings scores, who knows what the outcome could have been.

That has been as much the story of WV’s season as the fact the team has been outnumbered by opposing teams. A bad quarter or ill-timed mistakes have hurt the Eagles more than physical prowess of other teams.

Against Coeur d’Alene, with Allen and sophomore Pat Gannon making life difficult for the Vikings’ star running back, Paul Ziegler, WV more than held its own.

Then, a muffed punt at the 19 and fumble at the 33 gave Coeur d’Alene short field and a 13-0 halftime lead. An interception and another lost fumble set up two more scores.

“What we can’t do is break down,” said WV coach Tim Trout. “We’re playing better football than we’ve ever played, but when you’re losing, little things nip you in the butt.”

Allen has been a force defensively in all three West Valley games and willingly made a change last week from running back to guard to help bolster the offensive line.

“There was some brand new stuff I hadn’t done before,” he said of the shift. “But it was not too much of a problem.”

On the other side of the ball he’s been trouble for foes. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder had 27 solo tackles in the first two games and maintained that pace against Coeur d’Alene.

Allen is third-year varsity and was a part of WV’s last winning season in 1998. He played on the state-placing basketball team last winter.

This current dearth of success is weighing on him.

“We just need to get more mentally tough,” he said.

Getting a win the next two weeks against teams with a combined 2-5 mark would do the mind wonders.