The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT October 16, 2010

It is no accident that some of the best teams in the area are still in the hunt for a state trophy in their respective sports.

With most starting training in early August, with every waking hour preparing for the coming month, you'd be hard pressed not to find determination on a practice field this time of year.

EARLIER THIS week, area soccer teams opened postseason tournaments with arguably some of the best matches of the season being played.

When the Lake City Timberwolves and Post Falls Trojans played in a semifinal match on Tuesday, it seemed like neither team was willing to have the season end that day.

And after 80 minutes of play at Post Falls High, neither team gave an inch and the match seemed as though it could go on forever, eventually moving into overtime.

Then just as suddenly, it was over.

Lake City senior Donald Osborne-Moss put in a rebound off the crossbar to put the Timberwolves into today's Region 1 boys soccer championship match.

Lake City's win knocked Post Falls (12-4-1) out of the single-elimination tournament.

On the following afternoon, Lake City used a pair of first-half goals to eliminate Post Falls in the girls tournament.

Last Saturday, the Lake City girls had to win their 5A Inland Empire League finale against Coeur d'Alene to host Wednesday's game. Otherwise, that game and perhaps the outcome of the league standings could have been different.

TIMBERLAKE CLINCHED its first state 3A girls soccer tournament appearance on Thursday, the third year in program history.

To go from four years ago, when the program wasn't even in existence, to being one of the eight best teams in the 3A girls field is incredible.

It's quite possible Kellogg, which was the runner-up in the District 1-2 tournament, might join the Tigers with a win against Payette in Lewiston this afternoon.

St. Maries could join Bonners Ferry in the 3A boys tournament with a win over Weiser after falling to the Badgers 2-0 at Hico Field in Rathdrum on Thursday.

Today, the Coeur d’Alene and Lake City boys will determine the top two seeds in 5A Region 1 at Coeur d’Alene High at 2 p.m., while Lake City travels to Lewiston at noon to settle the top two girls seeds to state from this region.

THIS WEEKEND when the Bowl Championship Series polls are announced for the first time, don’t be surprised if a backlash hits the northwest.

Whether it’s Oregon or Boise State, someone from the northwest will be sitting in a prime spot for the national championship game.

Fortunately, the regular season doesn’t end for a few more weeks, so teams can watch the computer mess up an already screwed-up system.

At least high school championships aren’t determined by a computer.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached via telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com.