The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 3, 2011
So on Friday, three teams from this area — Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls — will bus roughly 120 miles to Lewiston to meet up with the other team in the league for the first night of play in the 5A Region 1 girls basketball tournament.
Seems kinda strange, but that’s the way it goes in the 5A Inland Empire League.
What’s even more strange — two teams located just 2.3 miles apart, second-seeded Coeur d’Alene (16-4) and third-seeded Lake City (15-5) — will play each other in the first game at 5:45 p.m. No. 4 Post Falls (8-12) plays top-seeded Lewiston (17-3) in the second game.
It’s the second straight year these matchups have happened in the first round. Last year, Lewiston tied Coeur d’Alene for the league title, then won a coin flip for the top seed, earning the right to host the first night of play. This year, Lewiston swept Coeur d’Alene in league and won the 5A IEL by one game.
After Friday, all tourney games will be played at the higher seed.
So couldn’t they just do that on Friday — let Lake City travel 2.3 miles to Coeur d’Alene High, instead of both traveling 120 miles to Lewiston?
“No, because it’s a league, and they (the Bengals) won the league,” Coeur d’Alene coach Dale Poffenroth said. “If you don’t do something for the people who win the league, then why have a league? It’s going to hurt the league financially because three teams have to travel instead of one, but no, you have a league and they won it, and you have to go play in their gym.”
Friday’s winners play Tuesday at the highest seed for the regional title and a berth at state Feb. 17-19 at the Idaho Center in Nampa. Friday’s losers also play Tuesday in a loser-out game, and the two remaining teams play next Friday for the region’s second berth to state.
As mentioned before, at least one good team is going to be left home from state, another team that could bring home a trophy as well — which is a shame, but that’s the way it goes.
Tuesday’s thrilling 77-76 overtime victory by the Post Falls High boys basketball team at Lake City put the Trojans in the driver’s seat for the 5A IEL title, and the right to play at home throughout the Region 1 tournament. Post Falls (14-2, 3-1 5A IEL) is home vs. Lewiston (9-7, 2-2) next Tuesday and home vs. Coeur d’Alene (11-7, 1-3) next Thursday to wrap up league play. Lake City (12-5, 3-3) is done with league play.
Lewiston could snatch the top seed by winning at Coeur d’Alene tonight and at Post Falls next week; otherwise, the Trojans will be the top seed.
The boys 5A Region 1 tournament starts Feb. 18 at the home of the No. 1 seed, and like the girls, the top two teams advance to state, March 3-5 at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at [email protected].