THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Thursday, May 28, 2015
Perception doesn't always match reality.
Example: Last fall, after four straight trips to the state championship game, the Coeur d'Alene High football team ONLY made it to the state quarterfinals before losing.
Must have been a lousy fall sports season for Viking teams.
Well, no.
Coeur d'Alene's volleyball team finished second at state - it's best finish at state in 27 years. The Viking girls soccer team also brought home a trophy, taking fourth at state.
Coeur d'Alene's girls cross country team won its third straight state 5A title, and the Viking boys swim team repeated as state champs. All told, five of the Vikings' six fall teams made it to state.
Lake City will be most remembered last fall for the football team's thrilling overtime victory over Coeur d'Alene, a 5A Inland Empire League title and a trip to the state semifinals. But the T-Wolves also sent both soccer teams to state, and the girls' swim team took fourth at state.
BY COMPARISON, Post Falls had few teams qualify for state, but those that did made the most noise.
In back-to-back weekends, the Trojans won state titles in wrestling and boys basketball - easily the best performance by winter sports athletic programs in the area - and Post Falls' football team qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2004, thanks to a dramatic victory over Coeur d'Alene in the regular season finale.
No state team titles were won in the spring by local teams, though Coeur d'Alene was second at state in softball.
A GENERAL excellence award goes to Timberlake.
The Tiger football team once again made the playoffs, the girls soccer team was second at state (to Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy), and both cross country teams brought home trophies - the girls for second place, the boys for fourth.
Timberlake also took second at state in girls basketball, sent its baseball and softball teams to state, and its boys track team earned a trophy for fourth.
Lakeland quietly had a strong year, reaching the quarterfinals in football, sending its boys basketball team to state for the first time since 2004, and taking fourth at state in wrestling. Also, the Hawk boys golf team took fourth at state - the first trophy in program history - and the Lakeland softball team also made it to state.
St. Maries' boys basketball team nearly made it to the state championship game, but still brought home a trophy after taking third in 3A. The Lumberjacks' wrestling team was fifth at state, as was the baseball team, and the St. Maries football team reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1998.
Lakeside, in its first year moving down to 1A Division II from Division II, capitalized with a pair of breakthrough efforts by its winter sports teams, with the boys and girls basketball teams each qualifying for state for the first time since 2004.
Kootenai's best showing was a fourth-place finish at state in girls track.
No matter the perception - the reality was, it was another pretty good year of high school sports.
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@CdAPressSports.