THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, November 6, 2014

It's amazing the lengths that some schools have to go to find some challenges for their programs.

Nonleague matchups against Spokane schools, no dice.

Even competing at area tournaments, teams often end up seeing the same opponent more that a few times.

POST FALLS wrestling coach Pete Reardon believes his team has the talent to challenge for a trophy at state, and why not, with 10 wrestlers back after playing in last year's tournament.

They'll still be one of the favorites at Tri-State at North Idaho College in a little less than two weeks, as well as the Rollie Lane Invitational the first week of the year at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

But the Trojans will find themselves heading to Utah once again this year for the Rockwell Rumble in Orem, near Provo.

"It's a tough tournament," Reardon said. "When we look for tournaments, we want to challenge all of our kids. It's a really tough tournament and they'll get to see some teams and styles that they don't see all the time. It's a little bit of a different flavor."

There is also a JV tournament at an area high school.

Even down to the officiating, Reardon said the tournament gives his kids a different perspective on the mat.

"It's nice to have something different," Reardon said. "It helps the kids grow as wrestlers and opens them to some new horizons."

The Rumble will be held on the campus of Utah Valley State.

"It's kind of a nice thing and neat all around for the kids," Reardon said. "It's really cool for them to get to see that."

In addition, the Post Falls boys basketball team will play games on six straight days, playing in the Coeur d'Alene Inn-vitational at North Idaho College Dec. 29-31, then boarding a bus to Boise to take part in the Centennial New Year's Invitational at CenturyLink Arena in Boise Jan. 1-3.

IN THE case of a few of the smaller schools, like those in the North Star League, they could end up facing each other four times before the district tournament.

The Wallace and Mullan girls have already played twice, at the Silver Valley tournament and North Star League tournament, and still have league games looming in a few weeks.

Should both the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls High boys basketball teams win their first two games in the Coeur d'Alene Inn-vitational, they'll meet in the championship game.

Otherwise, they're not scheduled to meet until Jan. 13 at Coeur d'Alene if either of them stumble in the first two rounds.

With wins by Lakeland and Lake City in the opening round of the Lake City Invitational on Dec. 29, they'd face each other in a semifinal game.

That is, of course, before the teams play a nonleague home and home Jan. 30 at Rathdrum and Feb. 17 at Lake City.

Finding games seems like it's getting tougher for area athletic directors.

Not traveling to Utah in January tough, but close.

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]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.