The Front Row with MARK NELKE March 4, 2010

Jim Winger last coached a game at the Idaho Center in Nampa way back in 2002.

On that early March evening, his Lake City Timberwolves played Madison of Rexburg for the state 5A championship, losing to the Bobcats and his good coaching friend, Bill Hawkins, 43-40.

One year later, after a loss to Centennial in a state play-in game, Winger was out of coaching. He had added athletic director duties a year and a half earlier and both hats proved to be one too many to wear.

So, when he walked out of the Idaho Center and into the darkness eight years ago, did he ever think he'd be back?

He talked about trying to do both jobs, trying to coach and trying to be an AD, and ultimately decided he was doing both a disservice.

"Uh, no, I guess, to answer your question," Winger said. "No, I didn't."

But there he will be tonight, on the sidelines at the Idaho Center, guiding Lake City (13-9) vs. Borah (14-11) of Boise in a first-round game of the state 5A tournament at 7 PST.

Winger started the Lake City program in 1994-95 after two years as head coach at Coeur d'Alene, his alma mater. He led the T-Wolves to state in six of his nine seasons as coach.

The next two coaches were unable to lead Lake City back to state in their combined five seasons, and Winger - his duties rearranged to include part-teaching and part-AD duty - returned as head coach for the 2008-09 season.

"When we first started back up last year, it really surprised me," Winger said. "Every time we had a chance to see something great we were so tentative. It was different for me, because back before it (winning and going to state) was an expectation. Once the dust settled from the happiness of winning (the regional title last) Tuesday, everybody kinda looked at each other and said, 'What do we do now?'"

Last year, Lake City shared the Inland Empire League title with Lewiston - the Timberwolves' first league title since winning the Border League in 2002. But Lake City went 0-2 at regionals, capped by a disappointing home loss to Coeur d'Alene.

"Oh boy, after districts that was about as low as I've felt," Winger said. "When we were at Lake City before, we got better as season went on, and we played better in districts than we played in league, and that did not happen last year. We did not function at districts, and that really bothered me. It really, really bothered me. I thought, 'What in the world did i get myself into here?'"

So he worked harder, and pushed his players harder - and says he has thoroughly enjoyed this year's team, which sports a 3.59 GPA.

"It's been a team that's been a work in progress, but has always picked up something, whether it's toughness here, or a little confidence there," said Winger, who is 180-88 in 11 seasons at Lake City, 213-106 in 13 seasons overall. "It's just kinda pieced itself together, and it's been very rewarding."

Still, the season hasn't been without its ups and downs. Lake City lost four of five down the stretch, including a home loss to Lewiston - which finished last in the four-team 5A IEL - that Winger termed "not acceptable."

He said the next couple days of practice were like boot camp - and his team responded. Strangely, he said the game where Lake City turned the corner was at Moscow - a double overtime loss to the Bears.

"We played awesome, we played tough - we just made a couple defensive switch mistakes that put us in a position to go into overtime when we shouldn't have," Winger said. "But we made plays to get it into the second overtime ... even though we lost , we really gutted it up and put it all on the line."

That carried over into regionals, where Lake City opened with a win over Coeur d'Alene, then won the regional title with a victory at league champion Post Falls.

Even this year, Winger said there were times he would lean over to assistant coach Kelly Reed and wonder, "Do I not know what I'm doing anymore?"

But like his team, he kept fighting. And talking to his team. Pep talks. Talks about basketball. Talks about life.

"I have done more talking and communicating - Dr. Phil stuff - the last two years than I've ever done before, and I think they respond to that," Winger said. "I told them, were not going to accept just having a good year and not finishing; that's just not going to cut it. I told them to keep fighting, fighting and fighting until its ingrained in their head. And I like to think it worked ... districts were the way it used to be, when it (going to state) was an expectation."

Lake City at state, with Winger on the sidelines.

Just like old times.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at [email protected].