The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 18, 2010

Perhaps we've been spoiled a little bit by the Coeur d'Alene High girls basketball team over the years.

We just expect them to play for the state title every year - and the last four years, they have, winning the last two.

The Vikings are obviously good enough to get to the finals again this year - but it's a largely new varsity group, after the core of the last four years' teams have graduated.

This year's team didn't go undefeated as last year's squad did, but 19-4 isn't too shabby, and while there have been some growing pains, the newcomers have mostly adjusted to their new varsity roles pretty well.

One thing about the Vikings (19-4) is, they pass the ball as well as any girls team I've ever seen - and better than some boys teams. Their top two assists leaders are their two posts, junior Carli Rosenthal (3.0 assists per game) and freshman Kendalyn Brainard (2.7).

Most of those assists have gone to each other, leading to layups or short jumpers. Teams that can get shots closer to the basket at the spacious Idaho Center tend to do better, and the Vikings can do that.

What could derail the Vikings? Nerves. Only three of them have played in the Idaho Center before, and one of them has only played a little. Boise (22-1) will have a little bit more experience - plus a hometown crowd - in its favor.

But if Coeur d'Alene can weather that, the Vikings will play either Highland (20-3) or Eagle (16-7) in the semifinals. By then, whatever nerves the Vikings may have had in their opener will be gone, and a spot in the finals vs. either Centennial (21-2) or Lewiston (19-2) would loom ahead.

Coeur d'Alene has played Centennial in the state finals in 2006 and '09, but a little North Idaho final, with the Vikings and Bengals meeting for the fourth time this season, this time with the state title on the line, wouldn't be a bad ending, would it?

n Meanwhile, the area 5A boys teams will begin the process of determining their two representatives to state at the Region 1 tournament beginning Friday at The Arena at Post Falls.

No. 2 seed Coeur d'Alene (14-6) plays No. 3 Lake City (11-9) at 5:45 p.m., followed by No. 1 Post Falls (17-3) vs. No. 4 Lewiston (10-9) at 7:30.

Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene were mentioned at the beginning of the year as the top two teams in the league. But Lake City has beaten both of them once. Lewiston started slow, but won at Lake City and beat Coeur d'Alene at home in the final stretch of the regular season.

Coeur d'Alene's win at Post Falls last week was not only big for the Vikings' psyche, it was also big for their seeding - it moved them up to a No. 2 seed, meaning they will host any tournament games next week vs. Lake City and Lewiston.

The title game is next Tuesday, with the second-place game next Friday.

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.