The Front Row with MARK NELKE April 1, 2010

Coming together at the end

I remember watching the Post Falls High boys basketball team play a couple of years ago.

They were led by a couple of sophomores and were certainly an entertaining team to watch, if not a conventional one. For every dazzling play they made, it was usually followed by one that made you scratch your head and wonder what the heck they were thinking.

Did I think I was watching a future state championship team?

It would be a better story if the answer was yes. But no, I honestly don’t remember — I can barely remember what I had for breakfast two Sundays ago.

But two years later, those raw sophomores were now seasoned seniors. With four returning starters, and three seniors, a junior and a sophomore in the starting lineup, the Trojans were a polished crew which had been in many battles and, as it turned out, learned from them.

The knock was the Trojans were more flash than substance, but they showed plenty of substance in a dominating run at the state tournament.

They used their quickness to be effective when teams forced them into a half-court game, and played some sticky defense which at times drew larger cheers from the Idaho Center crowd than anything they did on offense.

THEY THOUGHT they had a shot at winning a state wrestling title last year. But a couple missteps on the first day cost the Coeur d’Alene Vikings, and they finished fifth — one spot out of taking home a trophy.

It could have been devastating, but the Vikings came back even more determined this year, and stormed to their first state title in school history. They had been in the neighborhood before — finishing in the top six at state in four of the previous five seasons, including a third-place finish in 2005 and a fourth-place finish in ’08.

Injuries to a half-dozen regulars could have derailed Coeur d’Alene this year, but instead it turned into a blessing in disguise. Depth developed, and the Vikings qualified 17 wrestlers to state.

At Holt Arena in Pocatello, Coeur d’Alene was in control from start to finish, building a 21-point lead after the first day, putting five guys into the finals, and eventually winning by 36 points.

And the Vikings don’t look like they’re finished quite yet.

LIKE IT or not, the expectations for the Coeur d’Alene High girls basketball team these days are simple — state title or bust.

That happens when you play in five straight state championship games.

But this year, with most of the players who had played in the last four title games gone, the Vikings showed their youth at times. They lost a couple of games, albeit to a good Lewiston squad, and at times, when the moment got big, looked like they hadn’t been there before — which, of course, was true, most of them hadn’t.

But all of that seemed to change once they reached the state tournament at the Idaho Center — which has become the mid-February home of the Vikings. In their last six years, they have played 17 of a possible 18 state tournament games at the Idaho Center. They have not had to play at a venue other than the Idaho Center — the price for losing one of their first two games at state — since 2005.

So when the Vikings fell behind Lewiston by 10 points in the state title game, there was little need for panic. Coeur d’Alene relied on what state experience it did have (against a team which had not been to state in 21 years), and calmly worked its way back into the lead, and went on to win its third straight state title.

As for the expectations for next year’s team, which will return all but two players from this season — you can probably figure that one out.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.