Week 8 preview: Playoff spots can be clinched in Inland Empire League action

It seems like the season just started, but here we are in mid-October with playoffs spots on the line. Several North Idaho teams can punch their tickets for the state football playoffs on Friday, while others are trying to salvage their season for another week.

Game of the week

Post Falls (4-2, 1-0) at Lewiston (3-4, 0-1): After a lopsided loss to Coeur d’Alene last week, the Bengals are behind the eight ball. Lewiston has lost four of its past five games – including to a pair of 4A teams. The losing streak started with a one-point loss to Post Falls on the road, after the game was moved north due to smoke from the West Coast wildfires.

The return matchup is in Lewiston, which should help the Bengals – who will try to build upon the connection between quarterback Kash Lang and receiver Jared Grainger. Last week, the pair hooked up for five receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns, including a 58-yard strike over the top of CdA’s defense.

Last week, the Trojans bounced back from their nonleague loss to CdA and had little trouble dispatching Lake City 30-7.

Jaxon Anderson hit Tommy Hauser on a 64-yard touchdown pass and had an 11-yard scoring run in the first half, then connected with Cole Rutherford on a fourth-quarter, 87-yard touchdown pass. Nicolas McLeod added a 1-yard touchdown run for the Trojans.

Featured matchups

Lake City (2-5, 0-1) at Coeur d’Alene (5-0, 1-0): The Vikings went down to Lewiston last week and continued to show they are one of the top teams in the 5A classification with a 56-14 win. For the eighth straight week, CdA was voted No. 1 in the state media poll – although Rigby earned three of the 12 first-place votes.

Vikings QB Jack Prka continued his impressive campaign, throwing for more than 400 yards with five TD passes, and adding a short TD run.

In the multifaceted CdA offense, Ethan Garitone had eight catches for 159 yards with two touchdown catches. Trent Elstad added a pair of second-half touchdown runs for the Vikings.

Moscow (3-0, 1-0) at Sandpoint (1-4, 0-0): The Bears’ Jonah Elliss is proving to be one of the state’s most versatile and most dynamic playmakers.

Last week against Lakeland, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior ran a double reverse for a touchdown, returned a blocked field goal for a score and iced the win for the two-time defending 4A Inland Empire champions with his 35-yard reception on third-and-long in the closing minute.

Other games

Bonners Ferry (3-2, 1-1) at Timberlake (2-3, 1-0); Kellogg (1-3, 0-1) at Priest River (0-5, 0-1); St. Maries (1-1) at Lakeland (3-3); Lakeside (3-2) at Lapwai (1-3).