THE FRONT ROW WITH BRUCE BOURQUIN, December 13, 2013

When Post Falls High senior forward Timmy Mueller found out he became the first player from Idaho to play for the West in the High School All-America Soccer Game at 2 p.m. PST on Saturday at the United Sports Complex in Downingtown, Pa., located 41 miles west of Philadelphia, he was right in the middle of his calculus class.

THE GATORADE Idaho Boys Soccer Player of the Year in 2012-13 got to share the good news with his family and friends. Mueller found out he made it to the roster in mid-November, soon after the rosters were finalized on Nov. 15. The game is in its third year. The highlights of the game will be broadcast online on NSCAATV.com Tuesday at 10 a.m. PST.

The game was moved from Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pa., which is 31 miles away from Philadelphia, 13 miles west of Immaculata to the United Sports Complex in Downingtown, due to snowy conditions on the Immaculata field.

Mueller survived four rounds of voting by a committee as he was originally chosen among the top 100 players in the nation. Mueller will be part of a team that will play against the best players in the nation from the East squad.

"When it actually happened, I was in complete shock," Mueller said earlier this week. "My parents told me and I sent a group text to my brothers, Robby, Tony and Johnny and my parents (Roland and Erin). Johnny was subbing (as a teacher at Post Falls) that day. He gave me a big hug. It kind of ruined my day, I couldn't really focus on my classes. My coach, Gabe Lawson, he told me to calm down ... he gave me a big hug. It hasn't completely hit me yet. I'm so excited. It's a huge honor, I'm very thankful for the opportunity. Just the fact I get to go over there is unbelievable."

Mueller found out he was nominated in mid-October, during Spanish class at Post Falls.

"As soon as I knew I made the team, I was in class, so I couldn't say anything," Mueller said. "The people that were most proud of me were my parents (Roland and Erin). They've been extremely positive, it's made my soccer career easier."

MUELLER HAS been looking forward to this game, which ended in 3-2 wins for the West each of the past two years, for nearly a full month.

According to The Weather Channel's website, there is a forecast for a 90 percent chance of snow and a temperature of 28 degrees at kickoff.

"It'll be a lot of fun," Mueller said. "You get to challenge players that are better than you. There will be some ridiculous talent out there. It'll be a challenge. It's supposed to be snowing that day. Hopefully the field will be free of snow."

MUELLER WILL have enough credits to graduate from Post Falls by the end of the first semester in January, so he plans to head to Corvallis, Ore., shortly after that and join his Oregon State teammates for workouts. Mueller verbally committed to OSU last May, and can sign his letter of intent with the school in early February.

The Beavers finished 0-8-2 in the Pac-12 Conference (7-10-2 overall) last season.

"Last year they got unlucky," Mueller said. "It's an intense conference. Their top players got injured. Next year, hopefully we improve. It's a difficult game. It's a whole new environment. I'll give them the best I've got."

Mueller said the only player he is familiar with at this point at OSU is defender Jacob Szuch from Borah High of Boise, who the Trojans beat in penalty kicks, 8-7, in the 2012 state tournament.

Mueller said he is thinking about majoring in engineering at Oregon State.

MUELLER, NOT known as one to set idly by, has been busy getting ready to join his new teammates at Oregon State. Mueller said he will begin taking classes in Corvallis the week of March 31.

"As soon as I can, I'll get over there," Mueller said. "Oregon State runs on the quarter system, so I won't start training until late February or early March. In the meantime, I'll just train here, in The Dome in Hayden. I've been training every day from 3 to 5 p.m. It's like my second home. Then I'll go play somewhere later at night. I'm just working out on my own."

As a junior, the 6-foot-3 Mueller was a starting forward on the Post Falls boys basketball team. Since he would have been leaving the team in the middle of the season, he opted not to turn out this year.

Until then, he has been at the games, cheering on his former teammates. Last Saturday, during a 58-49 Post Falls win over Kamiakin of Kennewick, Wash., Mueller was among several students dressed in neon yellow shirts and Mueller was dressed in a fun, wacky getup that included a red-and-blue headpiece while his fellow students and he were getting ready for a school dance with a neon theme.

"I miss it a lot," Mueller said of not playing basketball. "It's hard not to play basketball. It's all about setting up my future. I'm doing the best I can supporting them. They have a great team."

MUELLER IS one of 43 players on both rosters, 22 on the West squad and seven forwards on the West roster.

"They have a very loosely structured schedule," Mueller said. "When we get there, we'll room with a player from the East coast. Both teams will get to watch a college soccer game (today) at the Men's College Cup semifinals in Philadelphia. We'll eat dinner together, but first we'll practice early Friday and then Saturday morning, then we'll play the game."

FOR A young player who made history as the first Idahoan to play in the three-year-old game, Mueller's soccer journey will continue in the upper Midwest. And he will have a ball, no matter how many or how few minutes he ends up playing Saturday.

Bruce Bourquin is a sports writer at The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2013, or via email at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @bourq25