THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Nov. 5, 2014
When entering the postseason, you want to be playing at your best.
In the case of many area teams that qualified, that was definitely the case over the past two weekends.
IT IS a familiar story for area schools.
Often times, to qualify for a state tournament, if you fail to win the district or regional title, you've got to go and beat a team from the Boise area to get to state.
Sometimes, like in the case of the Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy girls soccer program, or the Coeur d'Alene High girls program, it works out.
Don't forget after being upset in the 3A District 1-2 tournament, Coeur d'Alene Charter had to win a play-in game, then didn't lose again, beating Timberlake for the program's first state championship.
Coeur d'Alene, after losing to rival Lake City in the Region 1 title game, battled back from an opening round loss at state to claim the consolation championship in the program's first visit to state since 2009.
Then there's the Kootenai volleyball program, which had won two matches all season before winning four times in the 1A Division II District 1 tournament to advance to state. Equally impressive is that two of the players - Lacy Goodson and Grace McInturff - found time to also qualify for the state 2A cross country meet at Eagle Island State Park last Saturday.
After Kootenai's volleyball team was eliminated from state Friday at Declo High, Goodson and McInturff were able to compete at state cross country the next day in Eagle.
DUE TO the expansion of the state football playoffs, there has been more opportunity for some of the north teams to get in.
In 5A, Coeur d'Alene rolled at Meridian High to advance to the second round, where the Vikings will travel back to Meridian this Friday, this time facing Rocky Mountain High.
Lake City, by way of winning the 5A Inland Empire League, had a bye last week and will host Capital High of Boise this week.
Post Falls - in its first state appearance since 2004 - took Eagle to the limit on Friday, but came up short of advancing.
Sandpoint crushed Century in its playoff opener after finishing second in the 4A IEL. In what has previously been a one-bid league, Lakeland hosts Rigby on Saturday at Corbit Field, while Sandpoint visits Blackfoot on Friday night.
Timberlake beat Payette on Saturday in the opening round of the 3A playoffs, and advanced to face Fruitland for the third straight year.
St. Maries shocked New Plymouth last Saturday 36-28, and advanced to face 2A Central Idaho League foe Orofino - a team that the Lumberjacks nearly beat 15-14 in the regular season finale - in a quarterfinal game on Saturday.
Without expansion, teams like Post Falls, Sandpoint - and as recently as last year - Coeur d'Alene - wouldn't have received chance to keep playing after the regular season.
Now that they've got it, they haven't disappointed.
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.