The Front Row with MARK NELKE August 26, 2010
Lake City football coach Van Troxel says it's possible three of the best five or six teams in the state reside within 8 miles of each other, in Kootenai County.
With the prep football season kicking off on Friday (see the Press fall sports special section inserted in today's paper), Troxel tabbed Post Falls as a slight favorite over Coeur d'Alene and his Timberwolves in the 5A Inland Empire League.
If so, that sort of attention will be a new thing for the Trojans. Lake City has been the team to beat in the North most years in the past decade and when the T-Wolves weren't, Coeur d'Alene was. Post Falls has had teams worthy of contending in recent years, but have fallen just short of the playoffs each time.
In recent years, predicting the 5A IEL has been a crapshoot anyway. Who would have thought last year that Lake City, with nearly half of its starting lineup being juniors, would go 3-0 in league to win the league title - especially when the Timberwolves lost all seven of their other games, including a 38-14 first-round playoff tilt to Coeur d'Alene two weeks after beating the Vikings 23-15.
Coeur d'Alene then had Eagle on the ropes at home in the snow in the state semifinals, before the Mustangs emerged with a 25-21 win and went on to win the state title the next week.
Post Falls hasn't been to the state playoffs since 2004 - its next-to-last year in 4A. The Trojans, like Coeur d'Alene, were thought of as contenders coming into league play last year. But Post Falls was hit by injuries and an inspired opponent, and stumbled in its opener at Lake City. The Trojans then fell short against Lewiston, but gutted out a win at Coeur d'Alene in the final week that forced a Kansas tiebreaker between the Trojans, Vikings and Lewiston, eventually won by Coeur d'Alene.
Maybe Post Falls will win the league this year, and continue the Trojans' run from last year which saw the boys basketball and softball teams win state titles, and the volleyball team make it to state for the first time since 1991.
Maybe Lake City will win again, with so many of those juniors starting again as seniors. Maybe it will be Coeur d'Alene, making it back into the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years.
You could make a case for all three teams to win the league. So my prediction is ... it's going to be another wacky year in the 5A IEL.
IN VOLLEYBALL, this will be one of those rare years that Sandpoint is not heavily favored not only to win the regional tournament, but to capture the state title as well.
The Bulldogs were hit hard by graduation, among the losses two four-year starters who earned college scholarships. In theory, that should open the door for a perennially solid program such as Lakeland - if the Hawks weren't so darn young themselves, with seven newcomers and only two returning starters.
"I'm sure they've been waiting for that time," Sandpoint coach Karen Alsager said of Lakeland and Moscow, looking to pounce. "I still have six returners. I lost seven, but I have six back who have been around for a couple of years. You can't replace Piper (Wahlin, who signed with Weber State) and you can't replace Koko (James who signed with Montana), but it's time for new people to step up.
"It'll be fun ... a different kind of fun."
Then again, maybe it'll be the same kind of fun for the Bulldogs.
"Sandpoint is Sandpoint - they just reload with their club program," Lakeland coach Claudia Ebel said.
In 5A, Coeur d'Alene will be improved, but Post Falls and Lewiston have to be the favorites to again represent the North at state.
In 3A, with five starters back, St. Maries has a very good shot at repeating as state champs - after winning state last year for the first time since 1993.
All six state tournaments are in the Twin Falls area.
IF YOU want to see state competition this fall, you're probably going to have to hit the road and drive a long way.
The only state tournaments in the North this fall are in 4A soccer. The boys tournament will be at Lake City High, the girls tourney at Post Falls High.
State soccer is rarely up North, and it's even rarer for the 4As to be up here.
The 5As are in Idaho Falls, the 3As in Twin Falls.
State cross country is also in eastern Idaho, at Kelly Park in Soda Springs.
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.