THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Oct. 15, 2014

It has been tough to compete for state team titles in the sport of wrestling for area 5A high schools in recent years.

If things remain the way they are slated to this year, chances are it will be just as tough in February when the 2015 state wrestling tournament comes to Pocatello.

AFTER A string of three straight 5A titles, two by Coeur d'Alene in 2010 and 2011, then followed by Lewiston in 2012, the last two titles have been won by Centennial High of Boise.

Centennial won the title by 120.5 points last year, and by 86 in 2012. Both years, thanks to a generous amount of berths available in their district, the Patriots were able to qualify more than 20 wrestlers to state, well more than their competitors from the north. Centennial qualified 28 for last year's tournament, compared to 14 for Post Falls.

A proposal made by Post Falls High coach Pete Reardon to go to a 22-man bracket, where each school will have one wrestler in each weight class, was discussed at the recent Idaho High School Activities Association meeting.

"I'd heard that coaches in a majority are supportive of the idea," Reardon said. "But a lot of those at the state office aren't so supportive. We're trying to get the next best kid, not just the two kids in."

Coaches originally asked to get the north's chance at an at-large (wild card) bid - the top wrestler that failed to qualify at regionals - back, which would have meant the north could have gotten as many as four to state in each weight class. But that was denied by the IHSAA board of control, which led to Reardon's proposal.

"Coaches and the board voted 10-7 against it," Reardon said. "It just kind of evolved from there. We're just trying to provide an opportunity for the kids."

It will be discussed again at December's meeting, almost two months from the start of the tournament. If passed, the proposal likely wouldn't go into effect until the 2015-16 season.

"I thought it was a good idea," Lake City coach Corey Owen said. "We're trying to make it fair to how we qualify for the state tournament. Us coaches up here don't think we're getting a fair representation at state. We've had four bids, the south has four and the east gets eight guys."

With the east region (Pocatello/Idaho Falls) and south (Boise) adding a few schools this year, they'll get another bid and the east will also be in the mix for a wild card with the south.

As of now, the north gets its best three, with no chance at an extra bid.

"If they keep it the way it is, it will be impossible to win a state title," Coeur d'Alene coach Jeff Moffat said. "If they leave it at the top three (up north), it's going to be tough. The thing that bothers me, not that our region should be guaranteed anything, we just want a chance at the darn thing."

WITH THE previous format, which rotated extra bids between the regions, it gave those north teams at least a chance.

"Wrestling is such an interesting sport," Owen said. "There's been years when we've had berths pushed around, taken four and all have placed. There's been several years where we weren't that deep up here, and that's where I would have preferred the wild card. The 22-man bracket was the next best effort."

A downside, and what could ultimately cause the proposal to go away, is that 5A wrestlers will end up wrestling an extra six matches per weight class in a tournament that also features the other three classifications in the same location.

"I just don't think the officials at the IHSAA could wrap their heads around how this was going to work," Owen said. "I don't think they could fit it into the current tournament. If the 5A tournament was by themselves, it would have had a chance. Because it's combined, I don't think it's going to be a big deal."

In the case of the wild card, which led to a Post Falls wrestler - who held a 12-2 lead in a placing match at regionals before getting pinned - his wild card won't come this year.

"It's not a true wild card if you're only considering two regions," Moffat said.

"It's been an uphill battle well before the fact," Reardon said. "I don't have an ax to grind, I just want to improve how the state tournament works. It takes time to change things."

In this case, those from the north might already have their shoulders on the mat.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He has be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.