Bulldogs host Bengals

SANDPOINT - Undefeated Lewiston comes to town tonight, ranked No. 2 in the 5A state rankings, featuring a 6-foot-7 quarterback and looking to exact some revenge from last season, when Sandpoint traveled south and knocked off the Bengals.

If you think the Bulldogs (3-2, 1-2 IEL) are nervous about facing Lewiston (4-0), you haven't been paying very close attention this year. The Bengals are the final 5A match-up of the year for Sandpoint, which has already played Lake City, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls and more than held their own each time.

Head coach Mike Mitchell is hoping his team can bounce back from a 54-35 loss to Post Falls, a game the Bulldogs led by 14 three different times before running out of gas late in the 4th quarter of a game much tighter than the score indicated.

"If we play like we did last week, we can play with anybody," Mitchell said, noting his team committed 12 penalties last week, many of them costly. "This team has not had one game where they didn't play their heart out. We weren't smart on a few occasions last week and we will clean up the penalties."

Mike Hubbard returned a kickoff for a touchdown that was called back after a clip late in the play, and quarterback Jake Semones had a pass returned for an interception, both momentum swings that proved costly. Sandpoint outplayed Post Falls for much of the game, and behind Ben Fisher also established a potent running game for the first time this year, both signs Mitchell will look to build on.

The key for Sandpoint will be containing Lewiston quarterback Justin Pobrabsky, and putting more pressure on him than they were able to muster against Post Falls' quarterback last week, who Mitchell said was able to stand flat footed in the pocket a number of times.

Sandpoint's undersized but athletic defense continues to keep them in games. Ray Lee, Micah Allard, A.J. Smith, Coleman Frank, D.J. McIntire, Brandon Lawrence and Ricky Lang are among those making plays and swarming to the ball.

Lewiston has beaten Pendleton, Clarkston, Hermiston and Pullman, which didn't garner them much respect from Mitchell, who called them "suspect." Sandpoint has proven they're every bit as good as the 5A IEL teams, and will look to carry momentum into the last three games, against teams in their own division.

"I think we'll be a force in the 4A," Mitchell said.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Barlow Stadium.