Prep football: Jack Prka tosses 4 touchdown passes, Coeur d’Alene pulls away from Lake City

In 2020, if it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Entering Week 5, Coeur d’Alene had played just twice because of a shortening of its schedule due to the pandemic. Finally on the field against a team its own size, though, the game was delayed near the end of the second quarter due to a freakish wind and lightning storm that passed through the area.

After the lightning cleared and the wind died down – a bit – the visiting Vikings got down to business and ground out a 40-13 win over Inland Empire League foe Lake City in a nonleague game on Friday.

Jack Prka managed the wind OK with four touchdown passes to four receivers, and the senior Coeur d’Alene signal caller ran for one in the Vikings’ first game against a 5A opponent this season.

“It was a little sloppy, coming off the bye week, I guess,” Prka said. “Our guys have to get a lot better. We’re thinking state, so we need to get a lot better from here on out.”

“We eventually found our rhythm,” junior running back Gunner Giulio said. “Our first away game kinda screwed us up, but other than that, I think we played all right.”

Giulio said the lightning delay helped the Vikings (3-0) regroup in the locker room.

“It was definitely a chance to have an opportunity to talk to our coaches and talk to each other and talk things through,” he said. “That’s when we figured out we just needed to start communicating more and everything kinda worked out.”

Giulio and Trent Elstad handled the ball on the ground a lot after the delay.

“Those two, they’re like the ‘Dynamic Duo,’ ” Prka said. “They’re always – they’ve got like a brotherly love thing going on. And our O-line was balling out today.”

“(The coaches) see people running hard and they’ll end up handing the ball off more,” Giulio said. “And the wind didn’t help with that, too.”

CdA got on the board on the second play from scrimmage, when Prka connected with Ethan Garitone for a 68-yard catch-and-run.

The Timberwolves (1-4) answered right back, as sophomore Zach Johnson broke several tackles and ran away from defenders for an 83-yard touchdown reception on Lake City’s second play.

Prka scored on a 2-yard run at the start of the second quarter, then hit Luke McLaughlin for a 46-yard score to make it 21-7.

On the ensuing kickoff, Eli Jolly’s kick bounced and deflected off a receiver’s helmet and squirted into the end zone, where junior James Elliott pounced on it for his first varsity touchdown.

“I got lucky,” Elliott said. “I was in the right place at the right time. Perfect timing for me.”

Elliott said his eyes got big when he saw the ball come free in the end zone.

“I was so excited, I was so pumped.”

Prka added touchdown passes of 28 yards to Giulio and 14 yards to Mason Cummings in the second half.

Post Falls (3-1) at Lakeland (2-2): The nonleague game between the Trojans (3-1) and the Hawks (2-2) was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Lewiston 24, Sandpoint 6: Kash Lang scored two touchdowns and the Bengals (3-2) beat the visiting Bulldogs (1-3) in a nonleague game. Elijah Larson had 129 receiving yards with a touchdown catch for Sandpoint.

Moscow 54, Bonners Ferry 7: The visiting Bears (1-0) topped the Badgers (2-2) in a nonleague game.

Timberlake 33, St. Maries 22: Grady Woodworth ran for 85 yards with a touchdown and the visiting Tigers (1-2) beat the Lumberjacks (1-1) in a nonleague game. Eli Gibson threw two touchdowns for St. Maries.

Orofino 26, Priest River 0: The visiting Maniacs (1-0) topped the Spartans (0-4) in a nonleague game.

Grangeville 52, Kellogg (1-1) 20: The visiting Bulldogs (2-1) beat the Wildcats (1-2) in a nonleague game.

Lakeside 46, Wallace 14: The Knights (3-1) beat the visiting Miners (1-3) in a nonleague game between 1AD1 Scenic Idaho League rivals.

Shelby (Montana) 76, Mullan/St. Regis (3-0) 36: The Coyotes (3-1) beat the visiting Tigers (3-1) in a nonleague game.