Badgers and Bulldogs tangle on special night
Final SHS football game on tap at old Barlow Stadium
SANDPOINT — It only seems fitting that the final Sandpoint football game played in front of the old wooden bleachers at Barlow Stadium be played against longstanding regional rival Bonners Ferry.
Other than the Bulldogs, no school has played more games at War Memorial Field than the Badgers. They were part of a memorable night in the 1950s when the Bulldogs accidentally scheduled both Coeur d’Alene and Bonners Ferry on the same night. The Bulldogs split into two squads, and won both games that night.
One of the key players in getting the new Barlow Stadium built, starting next week, was longtime Sandpoint Parks and Rec director Kim Woodruff. He was asked to share his favorite memory of the 65 year-old wooden bleachers.
“My favorite memory of Memorial is the morning after the sales tax vote, and learning that 73 percent approved,” said Woodruff, who oversaw repairs to the integrity of the structure through the years. “Finally, after 11-plus years of work, the community found a way to keep that special place — special and safe.”
It’s Homecoming tonight, when the 3A Badgers (0-3) make a rare trip south to face the Bulldogs (1-2), in a matchup that used to be far more common than today, when the teams rarely face each other.
The Bulldogs were originally supposed to face Colville, then Skyview out of Vancouver, and finally Washington power Bellevue, but all three games fell through on the schedule.
“It came about that hey, let’s play,” said athletic director Kris Knowles, noting Bonners also had a hole in their schedule. “We got to talking that it would be really cool for both communities.”
The Badgers lost 41-0 to Freeman last week, following a 42-28 loss to Lakeside (Washington) and a 44-0 loss to Lakeland. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have been in every game this year against a strong schedule, including head coach George Yarno’s first win as head coach in a 28-27 win last week over Mt. Spokane.
SHS is going to try and pay homage to everyone who has ever played on the field tonight, dating back to the 1940s. One of the first teams to play in front of Barlow Stadium was the Jerry Kramer-led Bulldogs, coached by stadium namesake Cotton Barlow.
Kramer, an NFL legend with the Green Bay Packers, was asked about the stadium when he returned last fall to present SHS with a gold NFL football, as part of the NFL’s 50th Super Bowl celebrations.
“When he was here, Tom (Albertson) asked him, ‘does it look the same?’” recalled Knowles. “He said the first season, they didn’t have the top on it. Over time it has been built in phases.”
It will all come down, starting on Monday, the first official day the demolition can start.
A lot of memories will be flowing tonight, and the Homecoming King and Queen will also be honored at halftime.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.