The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT August 25, 2010
After spending the past week talking to a number of area coaches about the upcoming fall sports season, I've gotten a couple of quick impressions on what to expect for the coming months.
And with key members of teams back from last season - expectations will continue to climb as teams begin to open the season within the next couple days.
LOCAL SOCCER teams opened their season last Saturday, some two weeks before schools begin after Labor Day.
It's hard to judge how a team will perform from how they start in August, but those games played before the holiday will tell most coaches a ton about just what they've got before the bell starts ringing again.
Area football teams get it going this weekend with six local teams in action for the first time in 2010.
One interesting matchup will feature the 5A Coeur d'Alene Vikings visiting the 4A Moscow Bears, a game that features a pair of teams with deep November runs on their mind.
Lake City travels to Lakeland, St. Maries is at Grangeville and Mullan travels to Kootenai in other games Friday. Timberlake travels to Libby on Saturday for its nonleague opener.
WITH A new season brings expectations, with each team thinking that they have a chance at contending with new talent bringing an optimism that this could be the year.
Most teams will achieve those goals, whether it's qualifying for a postseason tournament or improving with a younger group of players.
Some of those teams with big goals have been hurt already after having key players diagnosed with injuries that have put those goals on hold.
Lake City lost two players (Nick Higgs and Joe Abate) due to knee surgeries, with Lakeland losing a key member (Colton Grytness) of its soccer team before the start of the season.
Those injuries may not be as severe to those programs, if they are find another player or move around the roster to remain on the path toward a state tournament.
A FEW players on eight-man football teams in the Silver Valley could have had their seasons cut short without playing a regular season game.
Wallace junior quarterback Tyler Beard suffered a broken collarbone during Saturday's North Star League jamboree at Sather Field, likely putting him out until October or later. Just under a month ago, Mullan junior Casey McKinnon tore his meniscus during a football camp, likely putting him on the sidelines until districts - in basketball.
Injuries affect a lot of those goals set out for the smaller schools in the North Star League, with injuries being the difference between a 6-2 and 2-6 campaign.
With most teams as equal now as they'll be the rest of the season, there's hope that it could be the year for most of these teams.
As long as everyone stays healthy.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached via telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or by e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com.