The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT Dec. 24, 2011
There’s plenty of reasons to reflect this time of the season.
And with just over a week remaining in 2011 — I for one can’t wait until 2012.
AFTER HEARING about how Boise State got robbed in the BCS this year after losing only once, the team will move into the Big East Conference in 2013. If they have the same results, the Broncos won’t be denied a chance to play in a big-time bowl game anymore.
To be fair, they didn’t win the Mountain West Conference title and will have to replace Kellen Moore, who went 50-3 in his four years as a starter — but who knows, maybe they can surprise some people once again.
On the Palouse, I’m expecting things to get a lot better in a hurry for both the Idaho Vandal and Washington State Cougar football teams.
Mike Leach is a coach that has proven he knows how to get teams into bowl games, going 10 out of 10 years as a head coach at Texas Tech. They might not win a Pac-12 championship next December, but they’ll be in the conversation for a lot longer than most think.
Meanwhile Idaho has to improve on a down season and who knows, maybe the Vandals will turn to Chad Chalich, the senior quarterback from Coeur d’Alene High who recently committed to the Vandals — someone who hasn’t lost at the Kibbie Dome in two starts — and also turn to one of his main receivers, should that be his final decision.
If so, it could be a fun year of watching Vandal and Cougar football.
WHILE THE season is winding down for most teams, a few high school basketball teams will meet at North Idaho College for the annual Coeur d’Alene Inn-vitational starting Tuesday.
Fans of basketball may go into overload with the return of the NBA on Sunday, but watching some games in the tournament is always a good cap to the holiday season.
As the Post Falls boys attempt to go unbeaten in the four year event, the Trojans will face a couple strong tests throughout the tournament, opening with Prairie High of Vancouver, Wash., as well as some of the best teams from the Tri-Cities and Seattle area.
The Coeur d’Alene boys basketball team, with a few players still fresh from a second straight state 5A football title, is beginning to play some of its best basketball of the season.
It may be difficult to top the excitement of the Coeur d’Alene-Federal Way girls championship game, but come Thursday at 6 p.m., whoever makes it to the title game will try.
ONCE THE clock runs out on 2011, chances are there won’t be a buzzer that sounds to end a frantic year in sports.
With no lockouts in the near future in major sports, things are looking up.
Butler and Virginia Commonwealth advancing to the men’s Final Four or St. Louis rallying to win the World Series are what make sports fun to watch.
Hopefully there is a lot of fun in store for 2012.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].