The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT Oct. 17, 2012

Over the last decade, I've had the chance to sit in a ton of different press boxes during high school football games.

While it hasn't been too many times that I might have needed to take cover from the weather, Friday night might have been the exception.

IN THE few times I've ventured to Lewiston for sporting events, it has been for basketball.

That was until Friday's 5A Inland Empire League game between the Coeur d'Alene Vikings and Lewiston Bengals at Bengal Field.

When I think of Lewiston, most the time I think of temperatures being a little warmer and weather being a little bit better than that of the weather in the Coeur d'Alene area.

How wrong I wound up being.

Once I stepped out of my car, it began raining - something that hadn't happened in that area for well over 80 days.

Had the rain continued, there was a good chance that I might have spent the game inside Lewiston's press box, which barely had enough room to fit scoreboard operators and other game workers from Lewiston.

Meanwhile those from Cd'A, including coaches and the local radio station, were perched on the roof - inclement weather and all, but were covered by a couple of umbrellas, just in case.

Not that it makes a difference, but shouldn't most of the larger 5A schools be able to accommodate at least both coaching staffs?

IT WASN'T until a wind storm blew down the press box and bleachers at Sather Field in Silverton that they transformed their facility into one of the best around.

Through a number of donations and work by a community group, it was quickly transformed with bleachers from Silverwood Theme Park and a press box that is 20 times better than the one that had four boxes, one for the coaches, radio announcers and scoreboard operators.

Some others, like the box at John Drager Field in Mullan — which only has enough room for the radio, scoreboard operators and a place to film, are just small because — they’re small schools and most the time don’t need the extra room.

Lewiston does, even if it won’t happen for a long time.

The other three teams at the 5A level in the Inland Empire League, Post Falls, Lake City and Coeur d’Alene, almost have too much room at times — with the Trojans having a dedicated area for their boosters.

To me, there’s nothing like covering a game from right along the sidelines.

You get a good feel for the game, because you’re standing just a few feet from where the action is going on.

Had the box in Lewiston been a little larger, I might have made my way over to stay out of the rain and get a different point of view on the game.

The thought of not being able to move inside a jammed press box kept me out, and I’m glad it did.

It wound up being worth getting stuck in the rain — even for a few minutes.

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 jelliott@cdapress.com.