Quick hits

Looking ahead

The state’s top-ranked 5A football team returns from a bye well rested.

Coeur d’Alene (3-0) plays host to a team going in the opposite direction, Borah of Boise (0-3), in a non-league game Friday night. Kickoff at CdA and at most area games is at 7.

The Vikings will welcome back senior running back Kevin Ah-Hi, who injured a knee after rushing for 262 yards in less than three quarters in CdA’s 34-20 win over East Valley three weeks ago.

CdA coach Shawn Amos sat out Ah-Hi the following week in the Viks’ 35-27 win at Sandpoint. So Ah-Hi has had more than two weeks of rest.

“He’s cleared and has practiced the last couple of days,” Amos said.

Ah-Hi’s absence allowed Amos to evaluate depth that he knew he had. Junior Alex Reyes started in place of Ah-Hi at Sandpoint.

Amos enjoyed the time off.

“It came at a very good time,” he said. “It gave us a chance to heal up. And it was kind of like going back to two-a-days. We were able to sharpen up some fundamentals.”

•In other games Friday, Lewiston (2-1) goes to Post Falls (1-2) in an Inland Empire League game; Timberlake (1-3) visits Lakeland (1-2) in a cross-district showdown; Lake City (2-1) travels to Eagle (2-1); Sandpoint (1-2) goes to Bonners Ferry (2-2); Freeman (1-1) visits Priest River (1-2); and Grangeville (1-2) is at St. Maries (0-3).

•In North Star League openers, Wallace (2-1) goes to Kootenai (0-2); Clark Fork (1-2) visits Mullan (2-1); and Post Falls Christian (1-1) is at Lakeside (1-2).

Looking around

The Moscow football team (4-0) has a bye this week. The Bears are off to their best start since opening 6-1 in 1995.

The Bears purposely softened their schedule in hopes of building some confidence and rebuilding the program this year. Three of their wins have come against Intermountain League teams: Bonners Ferry, Timberlake and Priest River.

Moscow faces the possibility of not winning another game this season. The Bears come back after their bye against highly touted border rival Pullman (3-0), then travel to much-improved 5A Boise (2-1), before finishing with 4A counters against Sandpoint (home), Post Falls (home) and Lakeland (away).

On your mark

The 17th annual Super 1/Farragut Invitational will be held Saturday at Farragut State Park.

It’s four meets in one. The smaller schools will compete in B races and the larger schools in A races. The B girls go first at 11 a.m., followed by the B boys at 11:40; the A girls at 12:10 p.m.; and the A boys at 12:45.

Racing will be held at the Sunrise Day Use area. The state park charges a $4 parking fee for all vehicles entering the park.

The A races include all the Inland Empire League teams and the B races will include all the Intermountain League teams.

Key match

It’s an early volleyball showdown between last year’s Inland Empire League champ (Lake City) and runner-up (Moscow) when the Timberwolves play host to the Bears tonight. First serve is at 7.

Moscow is undefeated at 11-0 overall and 5-0 in league. After a slow start, LC is 8-4 and 5-1.

Under the lights

First-year Lake City boys soccer coach Chad Beadell’s Timberwolves had just fallen 2-0 to Coeur d’Alene when Beadell concluded the post-match interview by encouraging the reporters to put in a plug for Wednesday’s cross-town match between the girls teams under the lights at LC.

It’s the first time the teams have played a night match.

Well since that match is now a few hours old as you read this, we couldn’t “plug” it here. But we can promote the return match between CdA and LC when the boys take their turn under the lights at LC. The match will be held Oct. 6 at 6:30.

Best foot forward

Bonners Ferry senior Matt Rice hadn’t kicked since his sophomore football season when he decided to give it another try this fall. A leg injury that season made Rice fearful of re-injuring himself last year. But he’s getting his kicks this season. He booted a 48-yarder two weeks ago – a yard shy of the school record – and he had two key kicks, including the game winner in the final minute, in an 8-6 win over Lakeland the week before.

“(The 48-yarder) would have been good from 60 yards,” Badgers coach Caleb Arceneaux said.