UPDATED

The Coeur d’Alene football team’s 2012 schedule already was going to be the toughest in school history.

Now it’s been amped up another notch.

The 2011 Idaho and Washington big-school state champions will face off when the Skyline Spartans of Sammamish take on the Coeur d’Alene Vikings as part of a quadrupleheader at the Kibbie Dome on Sept. 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Skyline originally was scheduled to play host to Manatee of Bradenton, Fla., in a matchup between two of the nation’s top quarterbacks. But the game was scrapped when the marketing company that helped arrange the game couldn’t afford to fly Manatee to Washington.

CdA athletic director Todd Gilkey received an email from Skyline’s administration Wednesday confirming it planned to play CdA pending final approval from its school board.

Skyline is led by senior-to-be, 6-foot-5 Max Browne, who has given an oral commitment to the University of Southern California. Browne is rated the nation’s No. 2 recruit.

“I don’t know if it’s congratulations or condolences,” CdA coach Shawn Amos said of landing the game against Skyline. “We’re really excited about it. It’s a great opportunity for our kids to play another high-profile team.”

Skyline is grateful to find a game for Week 3.

“It couldn't have worked out better in that regard,” Skyline coach Mat Taylor said. “We were on the verge of not being able to find a game. And then, to have a showcase game at the Kibbie Dome that Coeur d'Alene didn't have an opponent for Week 3, it worked out well.”

Amos and some members of the 2011 back-to-back state champs are pictured above receiving an award at the SWABs banquet in February in Spokane as the male team of the year in the Inland Northwest.

I was at the hospital Thursday having a minor procedure done (it comes with turning 50 years old), so I wasn't able to post links to our Prep Page stories.

Here you go:

My column was about Joe Albi Stadium and the need to look at the future. A study is underway to look at options to either retrofit Albi or build a stadium elsewhere among several options. What do you think should be done with the venerable stadium?

Jim Allen had this feature on arguably the best boys soccer team in the area (clue: it's not in the GSL).

The lead item in my track notebook is about ultra talented pole vaulter Anandae Clark of Lakeside (Nine Mile).

I was experimenting with my Iphone at a Greater Spokane League dual Thursday. Here's Mead junior pole vaulter Blase Neumann clearing 13 feet, 6 inches to capture first.

I'm going to try to get some video at the Pasco Invite on Saturday.

Here in our back yard - if you extend that yard to Newport - is one of the top high school throwers in the nation. Remember this name: Aaron Castle (pictured above) and take a look at his story.

Former teacher, highly successful soccer coach and current Mead athletic director Dick Cullen is retiring. Also, another note about Coeur d'Alene football.

Coeur d'Alene hurdler Morgan Stuble is featured in our weekly track notebook. Here's a link to our area track honor roll.

Love it when we have stories like we do today on Ferris/ Ben Goodwin. Mike Vlahovich did a marvelous job on the story. Here's a link. Ben is pictured above in a photo taken last spring of him and his mother, Mary, who had a double lung transplant last summer.

The first item in my column today is about the partnership the Greater Spokane League and the new Mid-Columbia Conference have struck.

Here's our first track notebook.

OK, it's still not spring. I don't care what the calendar says.

We published our track glance with a feature on Mead sprint standout Wes Bailey (pictured above).

Here's a preview of Greater Spokane League golf.

The University boys basketball team rallied in the fourth quarter, topping the Lake Washington Kangaroos 60-55 in the 3A state tournament Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.

Here's my story.

The Gonzaga Prep and Central Valley girls won going away Thursday in the opening round of the State 5A basketball tournament at the Tacoma Dome. Here's my story. Pictured above is G-Prep freshman Laura Stockton.

I made it over SNOWqualmie Pass this afternoon. Slow going, but a safe trip thankfully.

I'll be at all the State 4A and 3A boys and girls basketball games involving our local teams. I will tweet as often as possible. You can follow at: srpreps.

If you want to follow the Seattle/Tacoma media, try: @DougPaceyTNT and @masonkelley

First tip Thursday involves the Central Valley girls at 9 a.m.

REMINDE: If you haven't voted in one of the two polls I posted earlier this week, please do so. We have well over 500 votes in the poll asking how the small schools will fare at state and more than 400 votes in the poll asking how the bigger schools will fare.

I'll post a similar poll about our area small schools in a day or so. The poll I posted last week about regionals drew more than 1,000 votes. Pictured above is Central Valley junior Austin Rehkow driving against Richland in a 4A regional game Friday. Click the tab below to see the pairings for all the state tournaments. This is the last time I'll re-post this at the top of SportsLink.. 

Here's a poll question for our smaller boys and girls basketball teams. This is the last time I'll re-post this at the top of SportsLink.

Here's a poll for every high school basketball fan in every classification in our region.

Here's our Thursday prep-related stories.

I need to pass along an apology to the Gonzaga Prep girls basketball team. I didn't list the Bullpups regional game in our story today. It was a mistake of omission. It wasn't on purpose - regardless of the emails I've received to the contrary. Fun job at times.

Gonzaga Prep takes on Olympia on Saturday at 6 at Spokane Falls Community College.

Zech Martin has arguably been University's most consistent player.

The Post Falls wrestling team is favored to capture the Idaho 5A state championship this weekend. Pictured above at practice are Cole Jesienouski and Nathan McLeod. Both are seeded No. 1 at their weights.

Area boys and girls basketball teams a win away from state berth.

In the photo I snapped above, Chandler Rogers of Mead paces before his State 4A quarterfinal match Friday evening at the Tacoma Dome.

Rogers scored a 17-4 major decision, joining six other Panthers (before Mead's heayweight had wrestled) in the semifinals.

Mead is rolling. More later.

I'll jump in the company 4x4 Friday morning and make the trek to Tacoma to cover Mat Classic XXIV. I've never been to a Mat Classic and I understand I'm in for a treat - and braced for the most work I'll ever do in two days.

With our staff, I've become the jack of all trades and master of none. Just call me Mr. Versatile. So I won't be able to watch the District 8 3A or District 8 4A girls and boys basketball title games. I'm leaving you in capable hands - those of Vince Grippi and Mike Vlahovich.

I could also be in Boise for the Idaho state girls basketball tournaments. Coeur d'Alene will win another state championship. We'll have correspondents there to help us cover it.

I'll be tweeting updates from the Tacoma Dome. So if you want to follow along, check me out at: srpreps. Our state preview story and info box will be published in Friday's newspaper.

Click the tab below to see today's menu.

The brackets for the Washington state wrestling tournaments can be found here.

Mead has three No. 1 seeds - Matthew Petrini at 113 pounds, Jordan Rogers at 182 and Cody Bocook at 285. Chandler Rogers (160) and Jeremy Golding (145), pictured above, are third seeds and Sam Voigtlaender (170) is a fourth seed.

Attached above is a brief video interview I did Thursday with Central Valley girls basketball coach Freddie Rehkow.

NOTE: The North Central boys go to Mt. Spokane on Saturday in a play-in game to see which team goes to No. 2 seed Shadle Park on Tuesday in a District 8 3A opener. Tipoff Saturday at Mt. Spokane is 7:30.

Click the menu below to see our prep offerings today. Pictured above is standout student and athlete Aleisha Hathaway of Shadle Park, the subject of my feature today.

The Coeur d'Alene girls basketball team captured the 5A Region I tournament championship, 50-22, over Post Falls. In the photo above, taken on my company Iphone, is Coeur d'Alene junior guard Caelyn Orlandi, who had a team-high 14 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Here's the link to my game story.

The Central Valley boys captured the school's first Greater Spokane League championship since 1999. Correspondent Vince Grippi was on hand to file this story. The Gonzaga Prep girls locked up second place. Here's our area girls roundup and here's our area boys roundup.