SHS will honor the past tonight in clash with Lewiston

SANDPOINT — Things don’t get any easier for the Sandpoint football team this week.

Lewiston, the fifth-ranked team in this week’s 5A media poll, will be in town tonight as the Bulldogs (1-2) look to rebound from back-to-back losses.

“There’s no breaks in our schedule,” head coach Ryan Knowles said. “... There’s no rest or days off.”

Sandpoint suffered a 17-point loss at Homedale, the top-ranked team in 3A, last Friday as the Bulldogs dug themselves a 26-0 deficit early in the second quarter and never recovered.

SHS pulled within 11 points in the second half, but the Trojans bled the clock with over 350 yards on the ground.

Following each game, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll holds a "Tell-The-Truth Monday" with his team. Knowles said the Bulldogs did something similar this week as they looked back on the film from Homedale.

“We evaluated it all and kind of pointed out what met expectations and what didn’t,” he said, “and I think we got a decent grip on what we’re capable of doing and what we got to do better.”

Sandpoint will face another formidable rushing attack Friday night. Lewiston (4-0) has rolled through its schedule thus far, beating opponents by an average of 28.5 points per game and scoring over 40 in each.

Quarterback Jace McKarcher and running back Cruz Hepburn have proven to be a deadly combination in the backfield for the Bengals. In a 63-21 victory at Eisenhower (Yakima) last Friday, Hepburn rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth straight game and McKarcher accounted for five touchdowns and 283 total yards.

Knowles said Lewiston has a dynamic offense with a lot of moving parts and a solid offensive line. It will be quite the challenge for his defense, he said.

“They do a good job mixing it up,” he said, “and they spread the ball around really well and we’re going to have to be good with our reads; there’s a lot of misdirection … and different formations that are going to make sure that we are on point with what we’re doing.”

The Sandpoint offense, which relies heavily on its offensive line and ground game, will also face a stiff test against an aggressive Lewiston defense, Knowles said. However, the Bengals did surrender 458 yards to Eisenhower.

“We’re going to have to play our best game,” he said.

SHS struggled to slow down Homedale, but Knowles believes his defense has shored up those issues and is ready to bounce back.

“I think we’ve addressed the problems and we’re going to challenge the boys,” he said. “The boys have a lot invested and they will respond, and I have no question about that.”

The Bulldogs will unveil their new anthracite-colored jerseys against the Bengals. The uniforms honor the history of the program and every jersey contains a patch with a valknut, the numbers 41 and 64 and the words “Remember the Fallen.” No. 64 is for David Lyon, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2013 while serving his country, and No. 41 is for Tucker Taylor, who died in a tragic skiing accident at 17.

Sandpoint will carry the legacy of those who came before them onto the field tonight and Knowles expects the Bulldogs’ best effort.

“We’re playing at home in front of a proud crowd against a great opponent,” he said, “and one that if we can’t get up for, I don’t think we can get up for anybody. It’s going to be a great game.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. You can listen to the game on AM 1400 KSPT, ROCK 103 (FM 102.9) or rock103fm.com. You can also find a link to a livestream of the game on spbulldogs.com.