20 years later: Celebrating the 1997 state football champions

SANDPOINT — It’s been nearly 20 years to the day since Sandpoint won its only state football championship, capping a successful 9-3 season with a 24-21 win over Eagle in the then 1A Division II championship on the iconic blue Astroturf of Boise State Stadium.

The team was loaded with talent, including Dave Mattingley, Kurt Berkley, Caleb Bowman, Stephon Klienert, Matt Smith, Joe West, Pat Williams, Dave Rust, Mike Dean and Brandon Jacobson among many others. The center, Quentin Ducken, is currently the offensive line coach for the Bulldogs, while quarterback Paul Nieman still lives in Sandpoint.

Molding it all together was head coach Satini Puailoa, capping a re-building process that took a program struggling with winless and one-win seasons, and turning it into a state powerhouse.

Bowman, who went on to play wide receiver at Stanford, is currently loving life in Sandpoint with his wife and daughter, while helping clients with investments and retirement planning as a financial advisor with Edward Jones.

Mattingley, a linebacker who went on to play briefly at Idaho, now lives in Whitefish, Montana with a wife and two boys, and operates the law firm Bryan, diStefano & Mattingley, PLLP in Kalispell.

Nieman received a scholarship to play football at the University of Idaho where he played briefly. Upon graduation, he came back to Sandpoint and worked at Coldwater Creek, and now works at Kochava, where he am the Director of Data Science and has two boys with his wife, Melinda.

Puailoa, who capped a second stint with the Bulldogs by again re-building a downtrodden program and taking the 2015 team to a runner up state finish, is enjoying retirement. He’s doing some coaching consulting with Mead in Spokane and a couple high schools in California, enjoying two grandkids and traveling with his wife Georgie, claiming he’s so busy and having so much fun “it’s just nuts.”

The Daily Bee asked Puailoa, Bowman, Mattingley and Nieman to take a stroll down memory lane.

n When you think back on the 1997 title, what’s the first memory that comes to mind?

Puailoa: It was the part where we were building the program. The year before we were 7-2. That was my first four year class and we had 34 seniors on that team. Only six juniors played, three on offense, three on defense. I knew we were going to be really good because I know how kids develop. The truth of it was we had all these guys who were really good that didn’t play the year before.

Mattingley: Beating Lewiston in the Kibbie Dome left an indelible mark on my memory. I’m sure most thought we had no business competing with Lewiston. I was proud the defense basically shut them down and helped us punch our ticket to the state championship game.

Bowman: I’ll always remember celebrating on the smurf turf at Bronco Stadium with my teammates, coaches and our families. I think about all the hard work that we put in over the years that led to that moment and how far the program had come.

Nieman: It was the excitement of winning. I specifically remember a play at the end of the game when we were up by three points and trying to run out the clock but we needed to get a first down. We had two plays called in the huddle and which one we ran was dependent on how the defense was lined up. I ended up passing the ball to Caleb Bowman. He made a defender miss and got a first down and then reality set in that we won.

n When I say Coach Puailoa, you say. . .

Mattingley: To be honest, tears well up in my eyes when I think about this question. Coach Puailoa is a selfless motivator. I owe him a tremendous amount of gratitude.

Bowman: I’m lucky he moved to Sandpoint. Coach built a highly successful program at SHS twice. He was a true leader and had a positive impact on countless young men and women in our community. I’m lucky to call him a friend.

Nieman: Passion. Anyone that has been around Coach Puailoa knows that he lives and breathes football. His passion was contagious and he was able to build a top quality high school football program in Sandpoint through recruiting many athletes to participate in football and garnering community support.

n When I say Caleb Bowman, you say . . .

Puailoa: Best athlete in Sandpoint High School history. Recruited all over the country. Everybody wanted Caleb. Ran 10.6 100 meters. Everybody was double covering, and Lake City didn’t double him and they got hammered because of it.

n When I say Dave Mattingley, you say . . .

Puailoa: Without Dave, we don’t win. He wanted to be the next Ryan Knowles (rush end). If he doesn’t move to safety, we can’t win. Played both ways. He was the MVP, he could play any position on the team. Second leading wide receiver on the team.

n Championship teams always have an identity, what was yours?

Puailoa: This team had everything. So competitive, so smart. We were coming out of the abyss of Sandpoint football. Everything we were doing was the first time it had been done in a decade. They had a mentality that we could beat anybody.

Mattingley: Never quit. I think our team had a chip on its shoulder. Lewiston was the team to beat and Lake City was the most improved. I remember hearing that our team wasn’t very talented as compared to past teams. And then we started the season 2-2. Well, we didn’t quit and the rest is history.

Bowman: We had a strong senior class that had success at every level. When it was our turn we stepped up along with key contributors from the junior class. We had talented defensive and offensive fronts, an explosive passing game and a hard-nosed running game.

Nieman: I think it was our ability to beat you through the air or on the ground. We had strong athletes all over the field which made us difficult to defend. If our opponents would overplay the run, we’d take full advantage of that and throw the ball to Caleb Bowman, Matt Burrows and Dave Mattingley. If they would drop an extra man into coverage, Kurt Berkley and Nick Jackson would run right through you. We had a great offensive line that made all of this possible, including Quentin Ducken, Dave Rust, Alex Shelton, Mike Dean and Pat Williams.

n What’s the best part about high school football?

Puailoa: Trying to keep a group of kids together, retain them, develop them. You get a mixed bag, problems with home life, school. So many distractions, work, girlfriends, driving, parties. Getting a group of kids bonded and trying to do something they could only accomplish with each other.

Mattingley: I think the best thing is that kids from all walks of life and all ability levels can unite and push themselves to reach the common goal of winning football games. In that journey, with a great football coach and staff, kids gain confidence, motivation and work ethic that follow them through life.

Bowman: The bonds formed with teammates over countless hours in the weight room and on the practice field. And playing under the lights at Barlow Stadium is second to none. Barlow Stadium is truly a special place.

Nieman: The camaraderie that develops amongst the players and the life lessons that participating in sports teaches you.

n What’s something people don’t know about that team?

Puailoa: Nobody thought they were going to be any good. So many unsung heroes. Pat Williams dad died of a heart attack, and he was one of our best linemen. He dedicated the entire season to his dad. Also a lot of brothers, they were all there at the state championship game.

Mattingley: I don’t think people understand how much support we had from the community. I specifically remember the Taylor family and their support at fundraisers, Doug Hawkins and Litehouse support at pregame meals, other local establishments providing meals to the entire team, and the many family members’ efforts at potlucks. This community support helped us spend more time together as a team and more time at Project 92 talking football, playing football, and working out, which allowed us to compete with each other, bond with each other, and trust each other on the field.

Bowman: Before every game Coach Puailoa would introduce all of the starters in the locker room. However, before the state title game he introduced the entire senior class. It was a powerful moment as every single player had a key role.

n Do you feel a sense of pride winning the school’s only state title?

Puailoa: It’s a mixed feeling, because I had some really good other teams. The kids were developing faster than we could develop a program. Pride that we’ve done it, sad that we don’t have a few more.

Mattingley: Absolutely!

Nieman: I do, it was a big accomplishment and a lot of effort went into it. I think one thing that differentiates our team from the present was the level of competition we played. Even though Sandpoint was always the smallest school, our conference included all the other major schools in the area, including Lake City, Post Falls, Lewiston and Coeur d’Alene.

Bowman: Absolutely. Our teammates and coaches will remember that experience for the rest of our lives. It was also a program win that would not have been possible without the efforts of the coaches and players over the previous three years. Every year the program took the next step and in 1997 it was our turn to win the big one. We were proud to represent Sandpoint.