A champion could be on the horizon
Whether it's on the professional or the collegiate level, a team in the Northwest is about to do something great and capture a championship this year. WITHIN THE 5A boys and girls ranks, each of the three local schools (Coeur d'Alene, Lake City and Post Falls) could have a legitimate shot at a state title, as long as they don't beat up on each other in the regional tournament. Unfortunately, only two berths are available from the region and it could go to anyone, depending how things will play out in a tournament setting in the coming weeks. Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, both ranked in the top two in the 5A wrestling polls last week, could also find themselves in a battle to determine who wins the state title as individuals and as a team at Holt Arena in Pocatello later this month. However things finish, one thing most fans can expect is some of the best basketball and wrestling they will see all season. WHEN IT comes to playing your best at the end of the season, both North Idaho College basketball teams could be on the verge of that coming out of a bye week. Both teams enter a six-game road trip, covering three weekends starting Friday at Colorado Northwestern. North Idaho's men, ranked fourth in the NJCAA with a 20-2 record, are unbeaten on Rolly Williams Court, but need to continue its winning ways on the road to maintain a 1 1/2-game Scenic West Athletic Conference lead over Salt Lake Community College. The Cardinal women are 17th at 18-3, coming off a huge win over Salt Lake on Jan. 21 at Rolly Williams Court. NIC is in second place, 1 1/2 games behind Salt Lake. Should the Cardinals make it back to nationals for the second straight year, expect a strong performance from the school. After suffering a pair of losses at the Northwest Duals in Powell, Wyo., last weekend to top-ranked Iowa Central and fifth-ranked Northwest see ELLIOTT, B4 College, I'd also expect to see the North Idaho wrestling team to be refocused and ready for the Region 18 tournament at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash., on Feb. 13. HOWEVER, if you are looking for a favorite, glance towards Safeco Field in Seattle as the place where it will happen. The Mariners could be the favorite to win the American League West, maybe even the American League Championship Series. Seattle, which added some key free agents in recent weeks, has the making of some recent World Series champions, like Arizona, Florida and Philadelphia, which had a few big name players, but did the little things good enough to beat the Yankees. Anytime you can send two aces in Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee to the mound back-to-back, the chances improve for a good season. Seattle doesn't have a big-time home run hitter, but considering the speed at the top of the lineup, it shouldn't matter if they are winning games by six or two runs this season because they will have enough speed to score on anyone. MAYBE IT'S wishful thinking as a Seahawks fan they turn things around soon, but considering they are getting older instead of younger, they probably won't be a contender for a few more years. Then again, sometimes those teams that surprise you come from nowhere. Jason Elliott is a correspondent for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-0239 or by e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com. Bengals win at Coeur d'Alene, win coin flip, earn top seed to regionals