Sandpoint opens season against Nampa
Sean Dorris starts living his dream Friday.
That’s when the Coeur d’Alene High graduate debuts as head football coach at Sandpoint High, his first head coaching job.
“Football up here is like no other place I’ve been,” Dorris said. “It’s small-town America. They love their football.”
Dorris replaces the man who built the sport to the fever pitch it is at Sandpoint, Satini Puailoa. The Bulldogs host another litter of Bulldogs from Nampa.
In other openers Friday, Dorris’ alma mater, Coeur d’Alene, will play host to Flathead of Kalispell, Mont., Wallace visits St. Maries and Post Falls Christian goes to Mullan. All games are non-league and most begin at 7 p.m.
In openers Saturday, defending Intermountain League champ Bonners Ferry treks to Raymond, Alberta and Kellogg travels to Kamiah. The balance of the area teams open next week.
At Coeur d’Alene, coach Shawn Amos will send out what he believes could be his best team in eight years at the Viking helm.
“I think we’re ready. I’d like to find out what kind of team we are early, and it’s a chance to evaluate our kids,” Amos said of the early opener.
Flathead will present a difficult challenge. Flathead is far and away the biggest school in Montana, with an enrollment more than double Coeur d’Alene (2,600). Appropriately, the big school features sizeable players, including a pair of defensive tackles that are 6-foot-4 and 290 and 310 pounds, respectively.
“They’ve been a powerhouse in Montana,” Amos said. “They have their quarterback back and they’ll probably put the ball in the air a lot.”
Which means a CdA defense that graduated eight starters, including the entire secondary, will be tested.
If CdA has its way, though, an offense that returns most of its skill players should keep the scoreboard operator busy. The Vikings bring back quarterback Max Lyons and running back Gabe Le, both seniors. Joining Le in the backfield will be junior Kevin Ah Hi, who should give the Viks multiple threats.
At Sandpoint, Dorris inherits a team that returns eight starters off one of the best defenses in school history. Three of those starters will move over to an offense that graduated all of its starters.
Eric DeMers, who started at safety last year, takes over at quarterback; Blake Mahler will be a two-way starter at defensive back and wide receiver; and Dan Parrish, a defensive back last year, takes over at tailback. All are seniors.
Dorris, defensive coordinator last year, has installed a new offense. He calls it the Flex I – where the tight end splits away from the line of scrimmage. It will be primarily an option attack.
“With our offensive weapons we think it’s going to be hard to key on one or two guys,” Dorris said.