Quick hits

It’s a light football schedule in the area Friday, but the top game is still worth attention.

Lake City (1-0) and Post Falls (1-0) begin Inland Empire League play when the Timberwolves visit PF. Kickoff at Trojans Stadium – and at most stops in the area – is at 7.

Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene, both 2-0, have byes. The teams meet in what should be an entertaining showdown Sept. 17 at CdA.

In other games, Colville (1-0) is at Lakeland (1-0) and Timberlake (1-0) travels to Chewelah (1-0).

The Timberwolves and Trojans both opened the 2004 season with impressive wins over Greater Spokane League foes.

Although LC has dominated the series with Post Falls in recent years, T-Wolves coach Van Troxel said the Trojans have dedicated themselves to building a program that can compete year in and year out with the best in North Idaho.

“Without a doubt this is the best Post Falls team we’ve seen in five or six years,” Troxel said. “They’re the dark horse in the league.”

LC received a wakeup call against Post Falls last year when the T-Wolves found themselves trailing 20-3 at halftime before rallying for the win.

Post Falls coach Jerry Lee believes his team has LC’s complete attention this week. “I’m sure they won’t be overlooking us,” Lee said.

• Volleyball: The cross-town rivals, CdA and LC, meet in the first of two IEL matches Wednesday at Coeur d’Alene. Opening serve is at 7 p.m.

Grid rankings

For a second consecutive year, The Idaho Spokesman-Review will publish football rankings each week for the 5A, 4A and 3A classifications.

The rankings will be based on weekly results and head-to-head competition.

5A

1. Highland (1-0)

2. Lake City (1-0)

3. Timberline (1-0)

4. Coeur d’Alene (2-0)

5. Meridian (1-0)

4A

1. Sandpoint (2-0)

2. Bishop Kelly (2-0)

3. Madison (2-0)

4. Pocatello (1-0)

5. tie, Post Falls (1-0) and Century (0-2)

3A

1. Shelley (2-0)

2. Snake River (2-0)

3. Timberlake (1-0)

4. Salmon (2-0)

5. Declo (1-0)

North Idaho supreme

Talk about whether the Greater Spokane League will become competitive with the Big Nine Conference seems a bit premature at this point. The most pressing question is will the GSL become competitive with Inland Empire League teams.

The IEL went 4-1 vs. the GSL last Friday. Granted, the IEL wasn’t playing the crème of the GSL’s crop. But Lake City, for example, has played some decent Mead teams in recent years, and LC has more than held its own.

The best football in the Inland Northwest this fall will be played in North Idaho. If you don’t quite buy in just yet, check back in eight weeks.

Around the state

For the first time since Century became the third high school in Pocatello in 1999, Century and 5A powerhouse Highland met on the football field last Friday. Highland handled the defending 4A champion Diamondbacks 21-9.

• Season openers among the Boise area’s 5A football teams produced a couple of upsets.

Eagle, which was picked by the Southern Idaho Conference coaches to win the Boise conference, was knocked off by Meridian 30-23. Defending 5A state champ Centennial, picked to finish second behind Eagle, fell to Capital 41-24.

The Capital shocker was slightly shocking because Centennial’s strength was considered to be defense this year. Centennial graduated all but one starter on offense.

Timberline, perhaps the best team in Boise, opened with a 28-3 win over Mountain View. Timberline, picked to finish third, travels to Lake City next week in what could be a preview to a 5A semifinal showdown in mid-November.

Spike streak snapped

Anybody who has followed volleyball in these parts for any length of time knew that Sandpoint was going to be a different team without two-time state Gatorade Player of the Year Amy Dyck on the court. Dyck, a four-year starter, is vying for time as a true freshman at the University of Arizona.

Those in the know realized that the Bulldogs’ Inland Empire/Border League winning streak dating back to 1997 would be snapped this year.

Moscow wasted no time last Thursday, handling the host Bulldogs 25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-21 to stop Sandpoint’s streak at 59.

Now another streak is in jeopardy. The last team other than Sandpoint to win a league title is Coeur d’Alene in 1996.