The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 25, 2010

Younger folks might look in the stands at Coeur d'Alene High girls basketball games in recent years and know John Drager as the proud grandpa who has watched his granddaughter, Dayna, play on three straight state championship teams for the Vikings - the most recent coming last Saturday at the Idaho Center in Nampa.

But us older people remember Grandpa Drager as the face of Mullan High athletics for the better part of three decades.

Drager, whowas honored witha 25-year achievement award from the Inland Empire Sports Writers and Broadcasters on Wednesday, not only coached most of Mullan's teams, but also drove the team bus and, for a time, ran the community pool.

His Mullan football teams dominated the North Star League for some two decades after he took over as head coach in 1965. They didn't have state playoffs in small-school 11-man football until 1981, so who knows how many state titles the Tigers could have won in the '60s and '70s. As it was, Mullan won state football titles in 1983 and '84.

I got to know Drager when I worked in Sandpoint in the 1980s and '90s. I would watch his teams come to Clark Fork to play the Wampus Cats. When Mullan won, Drager would downplay his team's dominance afterward, and usually found something nice to say about Clark Fork.

One year, Mullan's boys basketball team came to Clark Fork for a highly anticipated matchup and absolutely crushed the Wampus Cats - something like 106-56. It might be the only time I've covered a high school game where a team scored 100 points. Obviously, it was an impressive performance by the Tigers.

The comment after the game from the Clark Fork coach was short and to the point - "I'm in shock."

Drager, naturally, gave his usual "aw, shucks" interview afterward, admitting that his kids played well but that Clark Fork played hard as well - the same things he might have said had the Wampus Cats won the game.

And afterward, Drager and his team filed out to the bus, and he drove them home.

THERE WAS a time when Coeur d'Alene Highdidn't even have the best wrestling team in Coeur d'Alene.

This week, the Vikings might have the best wrestling team in the state.

Coeur d'Alene and Highland are expected to battle it out for the state 5A team title when the state wrestling tournaments unfold Friday and Saturday at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

The Vikings had eight individual champions and qualified 17 wrestlers from the Region 1 tournament last Saturday at Post Falls. Coeur d'Alene had some injury problems earlier this year, but in a way, that helped developed some depth, and that depth may pay off in the team standings this weekend.

Coeur d'Alene has finished in the top six at state in four of the last five seasons -- including a best of third in 2005 and fourth in '08.

The Vikings thought they had a shot at the titlelast year, but stumbled a bit at state and finished fifth.

Coeur d'Alene has nine wrestlers seeded in the top four in their weight classes -- including a pair of No. 1 seeds in Kenny Staub (130) and Kevin Moore (171). Seeded second are Sam Howard (125), Braden Mowry (135), Christian Putman (145) andColin Comack (152).

Post Falls has two top-two seeds in Chad Booth (first at 112) and Nathan McLeod (second at 140).

Give Coeur d'Alene coach Jeff Moffat (and his brother, Viking assistant Kelly Moffat) credit for turning their alma mater into a state power on the wrestling mat.

IN THE 4A state tournament, Lakeland boasts a pair of No. 1 seeds -- Nate Wright (103) and Brandon Richardson (152).

In 3A, Dylan White (285) of Timberlake is the lone local wrestler seeded No. 1. There are three No. 2 seeds -- Cole Jerome (112) of Kellogg, Cory Squires (125) of Kellogg and Ricky Avalos (171) of St. Maries.

In 2A, Jake Waters of Wallace is seeded No. 2 at 140.

This is the second year the tournament has been squeezed into two days from the usual three.

Action begins Friday at 9:30 a.m. MST, with the quarterfinals at 3 p.m.

On Saturday, the semifinals are at 9 a.m. MST, with the finals following the parade of athletes at 3:30 p.m. MST.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or at mnelke@cdapress.com.