'Now is the time to seal the deal': A league title is within reach for Sandpoint
Sophomore quarterback Parker Pettit runs through the Moscow defense during last Friday's 31-21 win over the Bears at War Memorial Field.
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
RATHDRUM — Everything will be on the line when Sandpoint football heads to Lakeland on Friday night.
With a win, the Bulldogs (2-4, 1-0 IEL) would secure their first 4A Inland Empire title since 2017 and earn the right to host a state playoff game next week.
But if Lakeland defends its home turf, then all three IEL teams would finish with a 1-1 record in league play, forcing a good old-fashioned Kansas City tiebreaker.
“We’re just going to need a competitive mentality because it’s going to be a hard fought game,” head coach Ryan Knowles said.
Sandpoint is fresh off its biggest win of the season. The Bulldogs scored 31 second-half points to hand Moscow its first loss of the season and gain a stranglehold on the chase for the league crown.
In that game, Sandpoint racked up 538 yards on offense — 309 through the air from quarterback Parker Pettit and 229 on the ground.
It was a dominant display by the SHS offensive line which went through a lot of shuffling early on in the season to find the right combination. But the Bulldogs have now settled in with a starting mix of Marcus Anderson, Wylan Dorrel, Carson Laybourne, Brandon Sargent and Keith Jensen. Max Knight also sees quite a bit of time at center.
Knowles said it was great to see the O-line step up as a unit and help the team explode last week.
“They’ve been working hard all year trying to get better and it was nice to see them finish drives,” he said. “Hopefully that’s just the start.”
The Hawks enter Friday’s game following an unscheduled bye week. Lakeland was slated to play St. Maries on Oct. 16, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19.
The last time Lakeland saw the field was Oct. 9 at the Kibbie Dome against Moscow. The Bears jumped out to a commanding 30-7 lead in that game before the Hawks scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the final score 30-22 in favor of Moscow.
Lakeland sits at 3-3 this season. Two wins came against 3A Timberlake and the other was a 39-24 victory over Lewiston on Sept. 18. The Hawks lost their season opener at Lake City 26-20 and were crushed by Coeur d’Alene 48-7 on Sept. 11.
The Hawks are led on offense by quarterback Devon Suko and his favorite target, Alden Waddington. The running attack goes through John White and Knowles said Lakeland has a pretty balanced philosophy on offense.
“They have a pretty even blend of run and pass,” he said. “You got to defend it all offensively.”
Knowles said his defense will need to be physical in the box to shut down the Hawks. The Bulldogs should have no problem with that because Tag Benefield, Keith Jensen, Isaac Webb and the rest of the Sandpoint front seven thrive on contact.
Defensively, Knowles said the Hawks make you earn every point. Lakeland has allowed just over 24 points per game this season.
A winter storm watch will be in effect during the duration of Friday’s game in Rathdrum. Temperatures are expected to dip into the low 20s at kickoff, wind gusts could reach as high as 28 mph and 1-3 inches of snow is possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Knowles said it’s hard to say what impact the weather will have on the game, but if the forecasts are correct, it will present an interesting dynamic and make passing the ball very challenging.
I think it’s something our boys are excited about being able to get out there and play in the muck,” he said. “I don’t see it being anything that’s going to hinder us, we just got to go in and embrace it.”
The Bulldogs walk into Friday’s game with plenty of confidence and know they will need to execute like they did last week to secure the win, Knowles said.
Being able to walk into a hostile environment and claim the IEL title would show Knowles just how tough his team is.
A lot is on the line against the Hawks and with that comes pressure. Knowles said his team is built for moments like this late in the season.
“This is the biggest rivalry that we have and our boys have a way of playing up for Lakeland,” he said. “I’m expecting them to be ready to go. We talked about the trophy being in the stadium … now is the time to seal the deal.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. If you can’t make it to the game, you can listen to it on AM 1400 KSPT or ROCK 103 (FM 102.9). The game will also be livestreamed on Sportscope. The cost to watch is $5.