The Front Row with MARK NELKE Jan. 5, 2012

Some thoughts as the calendar turns to January, and local high school basketball teams plunge into the home stretch in their schedules:

Watching a little bit of the Coeur d’Alene Inn-vitational last week at North Idaho College, I was impressed with the way Post Falls’ boys share the basketball, often times passing up good shots to get their teammates better shots.

The Trojans (10-0) have several players who can score, and it’s nice to see them all get a chance to do that. That’s more enjoyable to watch than certain NBA teams where the star(s) dribbles and dribbles and dribbles, then jacks up an off-balance shot as the shot clock is winding down.

Post Falls coach Mike McLean has said this year’s team reminds him of the 2009-10 squad, which won the state 5A title. Many of these players were key members last year when the Trojans placed fourth at state.

Coeur d’Alene (6-3) placed third at state last year, and hopes to be in the trophy hunt again this year, but we probably won’t get a good read on the Vikings until starting post Chad Chalich returns in a couple of weeks following a hairline fracture of his right foot suffered during the state 5A football semifinals.

Lake City (6-5) is young — just two seniors, along with six juniors and three sophomores — but the Timberwolves figure to be in the hunt for one of the two berths to state out of the four-team Region 1. The Timberwolves led Post Falls by five points after three quarters before getting outscored 22-10 in the fourth and falling to the Trojans 44-37 in the semifinals last week.

Coeur d’Alene opened league play with a win over Lewiston on Tuesday. Lake City travels to Coeur d’Alene on Friday for the Fight for the Fish game — which counts in the league standings. Post Falls opens league Saturday at home vs. Lewiston.

Other key dates: Jan. 10, Post Falls at Lake City; Jan. 13, Post Falls at Coeur d’Alene; Jan. 27, Coeur d’Alene at Lake City; Jan. 31, Lake City at Post Falls; Feb. 8, Coeur d’Alene at Post Falls.

In the girls 5A IEL, Coeur d’Alene (12-2) tightened up the league race by whacking Lewiston 53-31 on Tuesday night, avenging a 44-39 loss at Lewiston on Nov. 29. A Lewiston win would have put the Bengals (9-2, 1-1 5A IEL) in the driver’s seat for hosting the Region 1 tournament in early February. Lewiston was the top seed to regionals each of the past two years — not coincidentally, the Bengals won the regional title each year. Same as the boys, the girls get two berths to state from Region 1.

Coeur d’Alene (2-1 in league) plays host to Lake City (9-5, 0-1 5A IEL) on Friday in the Fight for the Fish game, plays host to Post Falls (8-4, 1-1) on Jan. 13, and visits Lake City on Jan. 27.

Other key dates: Saturday, Lewiston at Post Falls; Jan. 10, Post Falls at Lake City; Jan. 13, Lewiston at Lake City; Jan. 20, Lake City at Lewiston.

Carson York, the former Lake City High standout and a starting offensive left guard for the University of Oregon, was tentatively scheduled for surgery Wednesday for the torn patellar tendon he suffered in his right knee during Monday’s Rose Bowl.

York, a junior and a three-year starter, was injured making a tackle on an interception in the second half.

“It feels like my knee cap is in my thigh right now,” York was quoted as saying in the Register-Guard newspaper of Eugene, when asked after the game about the injury.

He was able to get back out on the sidelines on crutches before the game ended, and was able to celebrate with his teammates after Oregon’s 45-38 victory.

“I’ll trade two knees any day for a Rose Bowl win, glad it only cost me one,” York posted on his Facebook page.

York, by the way, was listed on the official defensive stats for his one, solo, tackle.

Brandon Hanna, another Lake City grad playing in his final college football game, saw quite a bit of action on defense as a standup defensive end, even earning a mention on the TV broadcast from ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.