Panhandle picks with Greg Lee

I have a feeling it could be another banner year for The Scribe.

Yours truly opened the 2004 season in playoff form. The word “perfect” has a nice ring to it. I picked all 11 games correctly, topping my friend from Lakeland, Lee Libera, who had nine of 11 correct.

It wasn’t an error-free opening week, though. I fumbled when I didn’t include our picks for the Timberlake-Moscow opener. So, for the record, both Libera and I did take Timberlake to win easily.

The challenge this week is to see if I can have my first back-to-back perfect efforts. It will be a challenge against my second guest, North Idaho College volleyball coach Bret Taylor.

Taylor went to a prognostication seminar taught by NIC wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb, who took Yours Truly behind the woodshed a time or two. He asked Whitcomb for some advice. So I have my work cut out for me.

Taylor, 46, is in his second stint as NIC’s coach. A 1977 Coeur d’Alene High graduate, Taylor never played organized sports in high school.

“I was too busy sleeping in the parking lot,” Taylor said.

Now here’s hoping I don’t fall asleep after a stupendous debut.

Lake City at Post Falls: This could be closer than folks think.

The Trojans gave the Timberwolves all they could handle a year ago, and Post Falls is much improved this season. Both teams opened their 2004 seasons with easy victories last week.

Both teams boast strong defenses and offenses capable of putting lots of points on the board. But when push comes to shove Friday, LC’s defense will budge less than the Trojans’. LC 28, PF 13.

Guest: Lake City may have been the second-best 5A team in the state last year. LC 35, PF 14.

Colville at Lakeland: The Hawks had a much more difficult opener than they wanted last week. Quarterback Kam Kiefer saved the Hawks with his touchdown scamper late.

Kiefer and Company will have an easier time Friday. Lakeland 21, Colville 7.

Guest: I have a Kiefer on my team (Kam’s sister, Kara), and I know how talented Lakeland will be with one at coach (Tim Kiefer, Kam’s second cousin) and one at QB. Lakeland 28, Colville 7.

Timberlake at Chewelah: Tigers coach Roy Albertson goes back to his old stamping grounds. His Tigers should do a lot of stamping, shouting and scoring. Timberlake 28, Chewelah 14.

Guest: I don’t know much about either team. So I picked the one closest to home. Timberlake 28, Chewelah 21.

Other games