Vikings harbor a grudge

The Coeur d’Alene High football team was 34 seconds away from victory in the State 5A championship game last November.

Thirty-four seconds later, the anticipated celebration turned to a locker room filled with tears. Twin Falls, taking advantage of numerous Coeur d’Alene mistakes (nine fumbles, three lost), rallied to knock off the Vikings.

Coeur d’Alene’s players and coaches had immediate motivation for the off-season.

“I would like to think that we could have won and it wouldn’t have changed our off-season preparation,” CdA coach Shawn Amos said. “You work your whole life to be in a situation to win a state championship. We want to get back.”

So just in case his players needed a reminder, Amos pinned a copy of the story detailing Twin Falls’ comeback on the Vikings’ locker room bulletin board. It remained there all summer and well into preseason practices.

“Thirty-four seconds left and we’re ahead by one point,” Amos said. “Anytime you get to that game and just fall short it motivates you. It makes the off-season easier.”

Plenty of talent returns for Coeur d’Alene. The Vikings believe they can return to the state final.

Some of the Inland Empire League coaches agree. In a coaches’ poll, the Vikings were picked to finish first among the 5A teams. CdA was picked first by four of the seven coaches (the coaches could vote for their own teams, too) and given 58 points. Lake City, the program CdA has been trying to copy the past eight years, was given two votes and 54 points. Sandpoint was given the nod among the four 4A teams with one first-place vote overall and 45 points. Lewiston (32), Post Falls (25), Lakeland (15) and Moscow (9) rounded out the poll.

“Like I said last year, if you get out of North Idaho you’ll have a chance to play for it all,” Amos said.

Across town, Lake City is eager to get back to a state final, too. State champs in 2002, the Timberwolves have played in three state finals in the past six years.

Lake City had one of the top offenses in the state last year. But the Timberwolves couldn’t have defended a junior high team a year ago.

In the years LC has played for the state championship, the T-Wolves have fielded a formidable defense. So solidifying the defense was coach Van Troxel’s first order of business in the off-season.

“We’re going to have our best athletes on the field on defense,” Troxel said. “The three times we’ve been in the state finals we’ve had solid defensive teams. We think we can be that type of defensive team this year.”

CdA graduated half of a dynamic backfield duo that combined for more than 3,100 yards. Running back Gabe Le rushed for a team-high 1,703 yards and 26 touchdowns. Senior Kevin Ah-Hi returns after rushing for 1,444 yards and 16 TDs in a supporting role.

“Coeur d’Alene has the best running back in the state,” Lewiston coach Emmett Dougherty said. “He’s a big, talented, fast kid.”

Said Troxel: “Without a doubt he’s the premier player in the league. But they’ve got other guys around him, too.”

Amos realizes the luxury he had last year.

“It’s so unusual to have two college-level running backs in the same backfield,” Amos said. “It’s back to reality this year.”

The reality for CdA is Ah-Hi will draw much attention from defenses that couldn’t key on one of the two backs last year but will do so this season.

Ah-Hi also will see time on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Amos plans to use the native New Zealander at defensive end. The coach figures his speed and aggressiveness will cause teams all sorts of fits.

“You can’t block him,” Amos said.

At least on offense, opponents just hope to slow him down.