The Front Row with MARK NELKE May 6, 2010
Playoffs near, one way or another
The rain and the wind did its best, but it looks like area high school baseball and softball teams are going to be able to play their complete league schedules.
Teams are working in a flurry of makeup single games and doubleheaders this week, prior to state-qualifying tournaments next week. There was some talk, if teams weren't able to get all their games in, of having to go by winning percentage to determine seeding for districts and regionals. And I guess it could still happen if the weather turns in the next few days, but so far, so good.
The seeds are set for the 5A Region 1 baseball tournament next week. On Monday, No. 1 Lewiston will host No. 4 Post Falls, and No. 3 Lake City will travel to No. 2 Coeur d'Alene. The winners will play Tuesday at the higher seed for the regional title and a trip to state May 20-22 at Memorial Stadium in Boise, and the losers will play in a loser-out game.
The two remaining teams will play Thursday for the region's second berth to state.
With the 4A Inland Empire League baseball teams battling to get in all their league games this week, the start of the Region 1 tournament has been pushed back from Saturday to Monday. The No. 3 seed will play at the No. 2 seed on Monday, with the winner playing at No. 1 on Tuesday. The losers from the first two games will play Wednesday, with the winner needing to beat Tuesdays winner twice - on Thursday and Friday - to advance to state May 20-22 at Rodeo Park in Nampa.
The top three seeds to the 3A District 1-2 baseball tournament will be settled in the next couple of days, when St. Maries (8-12, 7-3 Intermountain League) plays host to Timberlake (12-6, 8-3) today and Priest River (12-9, 8-3) on Friday.
Other stuff from the recent Idaho High School Activities Association Board of Control meeting in Boise:
The North Star League will lose one of its two berths to the state 1A Division II football playoffs this fall. For the past few years, the top two of the three D-II teams in the NSL met in the first round. But now, just the top team will advance, and will play host to the No. 2 team from District III in the first round.
It probably makes sense, numbers wise, to take a berth away from the NSL. But there were a couple memorable playoff games at Kootenai in recent years. One year, Kootenai beat Mullan 50-0 in the regular season, then lost at home in the mud to the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs. Another year, Kootenai outlasted Clark Fork 58-54 in an epic offensive shootout that seemed to go on forever.
Soda Springs was approved as the site for this fall's state cross country meet. There was a push to make Eagle Island State Park outside Boise the permanent site for state cross country, but schools from the North and the East objected.
In basketball, District 1-2 will get two berths to state in 5A, one in 4A, two in 3A, 1.5 in 2A, one in 1A Division II, and in 1A Division I, the North Star League champ will again have to play off against the third-place team from District 2 for a state berth.
In wrestling, District 1-2 will get three berths to state in 5A, two in 4A, four in 3A and four in 2A.
Post Falls and Lake City will play host to the state 4A boys and girls soccer tournaments this fall. State 5A soccer is in Idaho Falls, state 3A soccer in Twin Falls.
State volleyball will be in the Magic Valley area this fall - 5A at Canyon Ridge High in Twin Falls, 4A at Kimberly High, 3A at Wendell High, 2A at Buhl High; 1A Division I at Declo High and 1A Division II at Burley High.
The Inland Empire League is losing another real good soccer coach with the resignation of Coeur d'Alene boys coach Eric Louis after seven seasons as head coach, 14 in the program overall. Louis and his wife are moving back to Erie, Pa., where they are from originally, and where plenty of family resides.
Louis capably filled the shoes of his predecessor, John Smith, going 76-28-17 as Coeur d'Alene head coach, including six trips to state and four Region 1 titles - including the last three.
Louis taught English for 12 years in the Coeur d'Alene School District, and is teaching communications this year. He's looking for a teaching job in Pennsylvania, and hopes to continue coaching as well.
"These years as a teacher and coach in Coeur d'Alene have been the most rewarding years of my life," Louis said. "We've never won a state championship since soccer became sanctioned in 1999. I truly believe the program is poised for a state championship, which makes leaving even more difficult. However, it's never easy to go out, on a high note or otherwise. I'm going out with a heavy heart, and with high hopes for the boys and for my family. Everywhere I go in town I see former players, and families, and I know I've contributed to something bigger than any one of us as individuals. Having replaced John Smith as head coach, I'm now going to replace him as the No. 1 Viking soccer fan."
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.