The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 14, 2013

OK, so it's not exactly going out on a limb to predict a fourth meeting this year between Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene in girls basketball - this year in Saturday's championship game of the state 5A tournament at the Idaho Center in Nampa.

For Post Falls (21-1), it almost seems like this is meant to be the Trojans' year to win it all - the team has gotten steadily better the last four years, with three seniors - point guard Katie King, guard Brooke Litalien and post Dani Failor leading the way.

This year, they added another key piece in senior transfer Hallie Gennett, an all-Greater Spokane League player last year at University High in Spokane, and the Trojans' leading scorer this season.

They've stumbled just once - at Coeur d'Alene after starting the season 15-0.

For Coeur d'Alene (19-5), winning a state title this year might be more impressive than when the Vikings won three straight from 2008-10.

This year's team has a basketball savvy similar to Viking teams in the past under coach Dale Poffenroth. But injuries to two key starters along the way have cut into their depth, but Coeur d'Alene has made it work so far with Kendalyn Brainard (ankle) and Sydni Parker (knee) out of the lineup, or back in the lineup and not quite at 100 percent.

If the Vikings win this year, they will be a team that got it done on guts and basketball sense - not to mention lots of athletic tape.

THERE ARE potential roadblocks for both teams.

Post Falls has not been to state since 2008 - which means none of the current players are used to the bright lights and the spacious shooting background of the Idaho Center. How quickly the Trojans adjust to those things will be key - but having four senior starters should make the adjustment easier.

If Post Falls wins its opener today, the Trojans will likely play Highland of Pocatello in the semifinals - a team they beat by 13 points in December in Post Falls.

In fact, Highland’s two losses came to Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls on that pre-Christmas trip.

Coeur d’Alene drew the third seed out of District 3 (the Boise area), but that turned out to be Rocky Mountain of Meridian — the regular-season 5A Southern Idaho Conference champion. But the Grizzlies were upset by Capital 30-28 in the semifinals of the 3A District 1 tournament, meaning the best they could do was finish third.

Coeur d’Alene has no history with Rocky Mountain, but Viking coach Dale Poffenroth has squared off against Rocky coach Emery Roy five times at state — all while Roy was at Centennial, where he coached until taking over at Rocky this season. The two coaches have combined for more than 1,200 wins and 15 state titles.

The scorecard so far — Poffenroth 3, Roy 2, with the most recent matchup Centennial beating Coeur d’Alene in the semifinals in 2012. Coeur d’Alene beat Centennial in the 2009 title game, as well as in the first round in ’08 and ’07. Centennial beat Coeur d’Alene in the 2006 title game.

• Meanwhile, as the state 5A girls semifinals are going on to the south, the 5A Region 1 boys basketball tournament gets under way Friday night at Lake City High.

The games have been pushed up a few minutes from the schedule announced earlier.

At 5:30 p.m., No. 2 seed Lewiston (6-14) plays No. 3 Coeur d’Alene (12-8), followed at 7 by No. 1 seed Lake City (15-5) vs. No. 4 Post Falls (8-12).

Lake City, which boasted the most returning players, was the preseason favorite, and nearly ran the table, and still won the league by two games. Perhaps the surprise was Lewiston, which started out 2-12 before winning four of its last six games, including three straight to conclude 5A Inland Empire League play, to snatch the No. 2 seed. That gives the Bengals home-court advantage over Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls at regionals after the first night of play.

So what happened down in Lewiston?

“Execution-wise, the kids are getting better,” Lewiston coach Corey Williams told the Lewiston Tribune after last Friday’s victory at Post Falls in the regular season finale. “We’re just going to try to keep it rolling.”

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.