Panhandle Picks With Greg Lee
This is my seventh year of predicting high school football games and I haven’t learned a lesson, it appears.
Something about holding your pride under in victory. It’s similar to the code American Legion baseball players chant in unison before district and state games.
“Keep a stout heart in defeat,” is another line from the familiar refrain.
So you won’t read anything here in the near future about me claiming a season victory (not unless a fog descends on my head!).
Bonners Ferry athletic director Pete Glindeman picked 10 of 12 games correctly last week while yours truly stumbled in at 8 of 12. That pushes my season mark to 34 of 46 (.739). The guests are 30 of 46 and moved above 60 percent for the year (.652).
We reach the midseason mark this week and the games become much more difficult to predict.
Making matters more difficult this week is my guest, Larry Bieber, who has considerable experience coaching winning teams.
A head coach in two sports at Coeur d’Alene High, Bieber’s 1997-98 boys basketball team captured the first state title by a Vikings team in 25 years. His highly successful softball teams have claimed two state titles.
Lake City at Coeur d’Alene: You can make reasonable cases why both teams can/should win.
Co-worker Jim Meehan leaked which way I was leaning on this game two weeks ago in his column. I’m still going with Lake City.
Why? Good question. Why, when CdA has the best running back in the state in Paul Ziegler? Why, when the Viks return the most talent and starters? Why, when CdA is long overdue to knock Lake City off?
Why not LC? It has multiple weapons on offense and perhaps its best defense ever.
Here’s what I think will happen Friday and weeks to come. LC will beat CdA and all but clinch a state playoff berth. CdA will bounce back and take care of business in between before defeating Sandpoint to secure the second playoff berth.
That would mark the first time that both intracity teams have qualified for the playoffs. But LC must survive a test that will be much more difficult than its season-opening 20-19 loss to Sandpoint. LC 20, CdA 17.
Guest: This will be the meeting of two “emotionally charged” teams. I think the Vikings’ home-field advantage will be the difference. Vikings 28, T-Wolves 21.
Priest River at Lakeland: The Spartans have been waiting for this game since early last season. They believed last year they were a year away from competing with the Hawks.
There’s just a slight problem. A huge gulf continues to separate Lakeland and the rest of the Intermountain League. Unfortunately for the Spartans, that will be reiterated Friday.
But not to worry. Priest River should be the second-best team in the league and earn its first playoff berth. It will prove that there’s a large gap between itself and the rest of the league. The Spartans will only do that after picking themselves up off the turf in Rathdrum. Lakeland 36, Priest River 13.
Guest: Even though Priest River comes into the game undefeated, Lakeland is rolling after its win over Post Falls. Once again, the homefield advantage figures in. Lakeland 21, Priest River 14.
West Valley at Post Falls: As I look at the schedule, I see one more realistic opportunity for a Trojans victory.
This opportunity will probably be as difficult for Post Falls as trying to beat one of the upper-division teams. West Valley, riding a 12-game losing streak, is starving for a victory.
For no other reason than the game is being played on this side of the Border … Post Falls 20, West Valley 18.
Guest: I think my alma mater, West Valley, will pick up its first win over a banged-up Post Falls team. This will be a hard-fought game. WV 14, PF 13.
Other games
Lee Bieber
Lewiston 28, Clarkston 13 Lewiston 35, Clarkston 21
Cheney 26, Moscow 14 Cheney 28, Moscow 7
Sandpoint 21, Colville 13 Sandpoint 17, Colville 7
B. Ferry 26, Kellogg 6 B. Ferry 28, Kellogg 21
T. Lake 20, St. Maries 13 St. Maries 14, T. Lake 7
Lakeside 36, Mullan 34 Mullan 42, Lakeside 24
F.Christian 32, C. Fork 24 F.Christian 35, C. Fork 28