Quick hits
Looking ahead
Football
For the fourth time in five weeks, high school football fans will be treated to another hotly contested Inland Empire League game that means nothing and something all at the same time.
It’s another 5A-4A crossover contest featuring Coeur d’Alene (3-1 overall, 0-1 league) at undefeated Post Falls (4-0, 2-0).
Kickoff at Post Falls – as it is at most other area games – is 7 p.m.
•In other IEL games, Lake City (3-1, 0-1) goes to struggling Lakeland (2-2, 0-1) and Lewiston (2-2, 0-1) travels to Sandpoint (4-0, 1-0).
•Intermountain League teams begin league play when Priest River (1-2) visits Timberlake (3-1) and St. Maries (2-3) goes to defending champ Bonners Ferry (1-4).
The upstart Trojans knocked off their second 5A IEL foe last week, topping Lewiston 45-27 at Lewiston. Three weeks ago, Post Falls shocked Lake City 35-19.
It’s a key game in the battle for the league title. A Trojans win would mean Post Falls will be playing for more than 4A state playoff seeding when it goes to Sandpoint in the final week of the regular season.
A CdA victory suddenly makes it a four-team tug of war for the conference crown.
Like they did against Lake City, the Trojans proved opportunistic against Lewiston. Post Falls was outgained by the Bengals 498-470, but the Trojans picked off four passes.
Both CdA and Post Falls will be out to establish what have been to date explosive running games. So the difference at Trojans Stadium could be which team finds the most success in the air.
CdA coach Shawn Amos was particularly pleased that his team rebounded last week in a 46-28 win at Meridian after getting shut out by Sandpoint (17-0) the week before.
“That showed a lot,” Amos said. “We didn’t give a good account of ourselves against Sandpoint. I told the kids that one game doesn’t make a season, but how they respond to that game can make a season. They obviously responded well.”
This is the third consecutive week that CdA has faced an unbeaten team.
Post Falls concerns Amos. He predicted before the season that the Trojans could be the most improved team in the IEL.
“They’re on a roll,” Amos said. “They have a bunch of good athletes. They have a lot of confidence right now.”
Volleyball
Lake City (9-2 overall, 8-0 Inland Empire League) is rolling along, undefeated after the first round in league play.
The Timberwolves take a two-game lead over Moscow into a pair of key matches next week. LC travels to Sandpoint on Tuesday and plays host to cross-town rival Coeur d’Alene on Thursday, a match originally scheduled for Wednesday.
Looking around
S-R grid rankings
Here are The Idaho Spokesman-Review’s 5A, 4A and 3A polls:
5A
1. Twin Falls (4-0)
2. Lake City (3-1)
3. Centennial (3-1)
4. Coeur d’Alene (3-1)
5., tie, Capital (3-1)
Eagle (2-2)
4A
1. Sandpoint (4-0)
2. Bishop Kelly (4-0)
3. Post Falls (4-0)
4. Pocatello (3-1)
5. Madison (4-1)
3A
1. Shelley (5-0)
2. Timberlake (3-1)
3. Declo (4-0)
4. Marsh Valley (4-0)
5. Fruitland (3-1)
Trojans opportunistic
To say the Post Falls High football team has capitalized on turnovers this season is an understatement.
They taketh and they don’t giveth away.
Post Falls has 17 takeaways on defense (11 fumble recoveries, six interceptions) while turning over the ball three times.
“That’s been the difference besides the kids playing hard,” Post Falls coach Jerry Lee said.
“It’s given us great field position in most cases and kept other teams from scoring. They’ve been big momentum turners. One of our goals this season was to change the face of our defense. We wanted to be more aggressive, create more turnovers and get after people.”
Wampus Cats rolling
The Clark Fork football team is marching to the North Star League title and is a lock for one of the two 1A Division II state playoff berths.
The Wampus Cats seem to be on pace to go as far as they did two years ago – reach the state title game.
“We’re getting there,” CF coach Frank Hammersley allowed. “We’re just trying to keep the guys focused on what we need to do each week.”