More playoff joy spread around

This fall’s Inland Empire League football promises to be double the fun over last season.

Why? Do the math. The top two 5A and 4A teams earn state playoff berths – two more than a year ago.

The league will also feature a full schedule as all seven teams, including 2004 newcomer Lakeland, will play one another.

No team is picked as a clear-cut favorite to capture the league championship. 5A Lake City and Coeur d’Alene and 4A Sandpoint are considered the most serious challengers.

“Lake City is the team to beat until someone knocks them off,” CdA coach Shawn Amos said. “You get to carry that title into the next year. They’ve been the best team around for a long time.”

First-year Sandpoint coach Sean Dorris, who was defensive coordinator for Amos for six years before moving to Sandpoint last year, disagrees. He smacks the favorite’s role on Amos’ Vikings.

“The team to beat in 5A and in the North period is Coeur d’Alene,” Dorris said. “Knowing the kids that they have from the years I was there, they’re loaded with athletes.”

Lewiston coach Emmett Dougherty agrees.

“Coeur d’Alene’s the favorite,” Dougherty said. “Shawn Amos has done a good job of getting that program turned around.”

No matter which team emerges on top in 5A, it’s a safe bet that this will be the best year of football, in the same season, for LC and CdA since LC opened in 1994.

LC, which captured the 4A state title two years ago, came within a play of advancing to the state final in its first year in 5A.

“If you can get out of our league, you’ve got a chance to play for it all,” Amos said. “It’s been that way for a number of years.”

Amos hopes that his team has reached the level at which it can compete for a state title as LC and Sandpoint have in recent years.

“Last year we were 6-3 and that exceeded our expectations,” Amos said. “If we go 6-3 this year, it won’t be as much fun.”

So the bar has been set high at CdA. The bar remains at the same level across town where LC coach Van Troxel’s roster will feature a record 33 seniors.

LC doesn’t have the NCAA Division I athletes it did last year – see Matt Troxel (University of Montana) and Alex Hamill (Washington State) – but it will be the deepest team the school has had.

“It was the best off-season for the seniors of any group I’ve had,” Troxel said. “We have great quality, more kids who can play football than we’ve ever had.”

LC has had the upper hand over its cross-town rival the past seven years, winning 11 consecutive games. Amos is still looking for his first win over the Timberwolves.

Troxel knows the streak won’t continue ad infinitum.

“Coeur d’Alene is finally to the point that it’s a good program,” Troxel said. “They’re going to be solid for the next three to four years. It used to be our biggest game each year was with Sandpoint. Not anymore. Our biggest game is with Coeur d’Alene, and that’s out of respect to what Shawn and his coaches have done. They’re ready to step to the next level.”

Amos knows to get to the next level requires beating LC. This year that could require beating the T-Wolves twice.

Under the seemingly ever-changing playoff format, the IEL’s 5A playoff qualifiers will face each other in the first round. That was arranged well after the schools scheduled each other in the final week of the regular season.

“It’s not the best situation, but we’ve got to live with it,” Amos said.

Dorris takes over for Satini Puailoa, the man who put Sandpoint back on the state football map.

The Bulldogs fell just short of capping off Puailoa’s final season with a state title, falling to Century 15-13 in the final.

Sandpoint is poised to challenge for a state title again.

“When the seniors walked out of the locker room (after the state title game), the juniors that were left dedicated themselves to get back there,” Dorris said. “That’s their goal, especially after being so close last year.”

The league’s 4A playoff qualifiers will draw Boise-area teams in the first round.

Sandpoint is heavily favored to grab the top seed while Post Falls and former 3A powerhouse Lakeland will tangle for the second seed.

“Post Falls will be the most improved team in the league,” Amos said.

The other coaches agree.

Lakeland steps up from the Intermountain League, which it dominated for the past 20 years.

The Hawks’ initial obstacle in becoming competitive with the bigger schools will be numbers. But coach Tim Kiefer expects good things right away.

“There’s no question we’re going to be better than last year,” said Kiefer, whose team finished third in its final season in the IML. “There are some kids stepping up and playing better than we thought.”