Top-ranked CdA Vikings resemble No. 2 Capital

When Coeur d’Alene and Capital started looking at each other on video, both coaches thought they were looking at their own teams.

They’ll find out for sure how many similarities they share when the top-ranked Coeur d’Alene Vikings (9-1) and No. 2 Capital Eagles (10-0) meet in a 5A semifinal at 11 a.m. PST Saturday at Boise State University.

Both feature three-man fronts with five linebackers, and have similarly sized athletes and speed on both sides of the ball.

And they share two common opponents – Lake City and Vallivue. Capital beat LC 32-6 and Vallivue 40-0 while CdA defeated LC twice (19-14 and 45-13 last week) and Vallivue (37-20).

“I see some of us in them,” said Capital coach Todd Simis. “We’ve heard all year they’re very good. They have some playmakers on offense. It will be our stiffest competition so far, no doubt.”

“They don’t have a weakness,” CdA coach Shawn Amos said. “They’re solid everywhere.”

The Vikings are coming off their best game of the year, but Amos said it will take a better effort against Capital.

“We still haven’t played our best game. We still have things we need to get better at,” he said.