The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT Nov. 28, 2012

Just a few weeks into the prep basketball season and there's something that is very apparent this season from years past.

It's going to be a battle to get to the finish line.

WITHIN THE Inland Empire League, or at least the 5A version, all four girls teams are currently unbeaten.

But the real tests begin this week with Post Falls hosting two-time state 5A champion Lewiston on Tuesday night and the Coeur d'Alene Vikings playing a little later this week at the Northwest Invitational in Beaverton, Ore., where they finished third last year. Lake City, which won at Wenatchee on Saturday, will host Post Falls on Thursday.

Next month, both Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls will welcome Highland High of Pocatello to their respective gyms Dec. 21 (at Cd'A) and Dec. 22 (at Post Falls). Highland is led by twins Dylan and Dakota Gonzalez, both of whom will play next year at Kansas.

Once the time comes, and the league's second-place team does make it through regionals, they'll still need to win a play-in game to advance to the state tournament.

Judging by the first part of the season, teams will have their hands full getting to the finish line.

At least they won't have to worry about traveling to find competition to get them ready for it.

Throw in area boys basketball teams, with three of the four teams in the 5A IEL relying on new faces this year, and it could get even more interesting in that race.

Lake City returns almost everyone from its team last year with the exception of Mitch Bevacqua, who suffered a high ankle sprain midway through the football season and will sit out the season in order to recover in time for baseball season.

Earlier this month, Bevacqua signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Washington and is also expected to be selected in next year's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

MAYBE THE most amazing thing I've seen is each of the four remaining Intermountain League girls basketball teams receiving votes in the latest media poll.

That’s right, all of them — from Priest River and Kellogg, who are ranked second and fourth respectively, to Timberlake and Bonners Ferry among those others receiving votes — all of those teams are considered to be among the top five teams in 3A to some in the state.

Just like the 5A runner-up, the 3A second-place finisher will also have to play its way into the state championship. Since Priest River defeated Kellogg in 2009, at least one of those spots have been filled in the championship game by a team from the IML (Timberlake).

Who knows what will happen, but that’s what makes it fun, right?

Out of the Intermountain and Inland Empire League, only one team in each is guaranteed a bid to the state tournament.

Whoever gets it will have definitely earned it.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].