Area schools release fall football skeds

March 7, 2012

Area football teams have released their 2012 football schedules to reflect the new look Great Northern and Northeast A leagues.
The Deer Park Stags, the defending GNL champions, will open their season at Chewelah on Aug. 31. It will be the fifth straight year the Stags have opened the season against the Cougars in a non-league game.
Riverside will open its season on Aug. 31 at Timberlake, The Tigers defeated the Rams 17-6 in last year’s season opener.
The Stags and Rams will face off against each other on Sept. 7 at Riverside.
Deer Park will finish its non-league schedule against Idaho schools St. Maries and Lakeland. The Stags have not played St. Maries since 1975. The last meeting against Lakeland was in 1986.
Deer Park opens GNL play at home against Pullman on Sept. 28. The Stags travel to Colville on Oct. 19. The Indians, who will rejoin the GNL this season, have not lost to the Stags since 1998 (a stretch of nine games).
Cheney and Clarkston will be the other home league games for the Stags.
The other change in the GNL season may be the elimination of state play-in games following the end of the regular season. Deer Park Athletic Director Chris Snyder said the Central Washington Athletic Conference is not eager to continue the arrangement, which determines two of the three state playoff spots.
The Rams’ Northeast A League opener is Sept. 14 at home against Kettle Falls, which rejoins the NE-A this season.
Riverside will end its regular season with the annual crossover game against a school from the Caribou Trail League.