The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT May 29, 2011
At the end of the day, there are days when you're excited for the next and cannot wait for what happens next.
Other times, you just wonder where the time went.
Last Saturday was one of those kind of days.
WHEN THE final results came in, and after a deep breath, it was the end.
The end of the prep sports season that is, and it was definitely one to remember.
From the nonleague football game between the Coeur d'Alene Vikings and Rocky Mountain, when senior Jake Matheson grabbed three interceptions on the way to a 34-22 win to watching Casey Stangel strike out 15 in the Lake City Timberwolves' state 5A championship softball win last Saturday, the thrills of the local prep scene never failed to amaze.
In the fall, fans were treated to a state football championship run that saw Coeur d'Alene run past a lot of its competition and do enough against Centennial in the Kibbie Dome to bring home the title.
During the winter, the Coeur d'Alene girls team battled back to a state championship appearance, only to have Lewiston steal away a championship. Timberlake, in its first appearance in the state 3A championship game, fell to Sugar-Salem in overtime at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
The following weekend, the Vikings' wrestling team won their second straight 5A title on their final competitor of the tournament at the Idaho Center.
Coeur d'Alene battled back to finish third in the state 5A boys basketball tournament with a fairly young team, meanwhile the Post Falls Trojans were fourth with the same youth.
It's probably a good indication that both could be among those teams making an appearance if and when North Idaho College holds its annual holiday tournament in December.
SPEAKING OF NIC, there’s a ton of reasons to be proud of the junior college by the lake.
After battling through a tough Region 18 tournament, the NIC women’s basketball team ran past the competition on the way to an NJCAA championship and countless awards following the season.
The Cardinal wrestling team finished second in their backyard as they hosted the NJCAA tournament at the Spokane Convention Center in late February.
Under a first-year coach, NIC soared to fifth in the NJCAA volleyball tournament in November in West Plains, Mo.
The NIC men’s basketball team held the top spot in the NJCAA at one point this season, but were unable to advance past the Region 18 tournament as injuries took a toll late in the season.
As with most two-year schools, the incoming classes will have to get to work quickly to match this year’s accomplishments.
AFTER THIS season, it will likely be difficult for most teams to find a way to repeat the success that was put in front of them.
From the state titles to regional tournaments — there’s only one question.
Where’d the time go?
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 e-mail at [email protected].