The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT Feb. 24, 2010
It could be a while before another weekend of basketball like last weekend with North Idaho teams happens again, but with more big games on tap this week - maybe it's a sign of things to come.
ON SATURDAY afternoon, four teams within the area collided for the state title in both the 3A and 5A levels at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
Coeur d'Alene claimed their third straight title against fellow 5A Inland Empire League school Lewiston by a 51-46 score, with Priest River defeating Kellogg in the 3A game earlier that night.
Both games played out much the same way, with both eventual champions finding a way to score when the others couldn't late in the fourth quarter.
For the Vikings, they had to battle back from down 10 points to Lewiston, rally in the fourth quarter and close out the game for their third straight title.
Considering they only had two seniors playing in the state tournament, it's probably a safe bet that the target on their back is growing by the day for next season.
Dayna Drager and Amanda Buttrey will graduate, but both have left a legacy that those underclassmen will no doubt be able to fill next year. Without their senior leadership on the floor on Saturday, it may have ended differently for the Vikings.
When the dust settled on the 3A title game, the Priest River Spartans rallied from six points down in the third quarter to defeat Kellogg for their first state girls basketball title in school history.
EARLIER THAT evening, the North Idaho men completed a weekend sweep of Scenic West Athletic Conference rival Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
The Cardinals, now ranked sixth in the NJCAA, remain one game ahead of Eastern Utah with only two games to play and should they find a way past both Eastern on Thursday and Colorado Northwestern on Saturday,
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they'd complete an unbeaten record at Rolly Williams Court for the first time in more that 20 years. A win over CEU would give NIC the league title.
North Idaho's women are in the three-way tie for second place with Snow and Southern Idaho, two games behind Salt Lake, with only two games to play. Snow will take part in a home-and-home with Salt Lake and North Idaho takes on Eastern Utah on Thursday.
ALSO ON tap this weekend will be the seeding games for the boys 3A District 1-2 and 1A District I Division 1 and 2 tournaments.
Three teams will have their season end on Tuesday, with others battling all week in Coeur d'Alene and Rathdrum to see which teams travel to state next week in the Treasure Valley.
Should the North represent themselves the same way again, fans will have even more to cheer about next Saturday night.
Although the excitement of winning a state title won't be there this weekend, these games will be worth the price of admission, whatever gym you choose.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-0239 or via e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com.