The Front Row with Jason Elliott May 18, 2013
Chances are, if you're heading to Ramsey Park for the final round of today's state 5A softball tournament, there's one thing that you're going to want to remember.
Arrive early and expect to stay late.
LAST YEAR, as the tournament unfolded in Chubbuck, Coeur d'Alene and Lake City advanced to the championship game, with the Vikings winning in the title game in front of an estimated 50 fans.
Both teams won twice on Saturday to set up a rematch between the two at 10 a.m. today with a berth to the championship game to the winner.
"It's great to have the support and everyone coming out and watching," Lake City junior Vanessa Shippy said. "It's fun to have our student support."
Both schools had up to 200 fans apiece in attendance for the opening round on Friday.
Last year's win snapped a string of 10 straight wins by Lake City over Coeur d'Alene. Thus far, Lake City has won all five games between the two this season.
"Having all the fans here helps us play better," Coeur d'Alene junior Sydni Parker said. "It really helps us play better because we're trying to show them what we can do. It's nice to be able to sleep in our own beds and go where you want to go."
Lake City - which is unbeaten heading into today's final round - also went unbeaten in 2011, winning the state title over Timberline of Boise in Coeur d'Alene.
Unlike those tournaments, this year is double-elimination, so win or lose in today's game at 10 a.m., there's still a chance of playing back for a championship.
"It would be great to see them again," Shippy said. "It would be a great game and there'd be a ton of fans here and that makes for an exciting atmosphere. When we played in Chubbuck, there was maybe 10 fans on each side and it was all parents. It will be great to have the fan support again this year and it will be a great final."
Last year's win snapped a string of 10 straight wins by Lake City over Coeur d'Alene. Thus far, Lake City has won all five of their matchups this season.
"Anything can happen," Parker said. "It's always fun to play against Lake City. We haven't done that hot against them this year, but we didn't last year either. But anything can happen."
"It's going to be a great game," said Shippy of a potential title game rematch. "That's the fun thing about softball. Whoever shows up ready to play that day usually wins. It's going to be fun, no matter what."
STATE SOFTBALL tournaments in all classifications for the 2014 season are scheduled to be played in the Boise area, after years of the event rotating between the northern and eastern parts of the state.
"It will be nice to have it down there (in the Boise area)," Rocky Mountain coach Ron Dufur said. "It will give our fans down there a chance to see what a state softball tournament looks like and give them a chance to see teams from the north and east that we normally don't see."
The area hosts the Idaho Sporting Goods tournament early in the season on the final weekend in March - which this year featured Coeur d'Alene, as well as teams from the 5A and 4A ranks.
"It's fun to get away with the kids," Dufur said. "But at the same time, it's good to be home. It gives the kids the chance to get away and get treated really special. The kids love it and we get treated really well and we love it up here."
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 [email protected].
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