Not quite done with fall sports just yet

The high school girls basketball season dribbles into full swing this week, but the fall sports season isn’t over quite yet.

That’s because the St. Maries Lumberjacks are in the state 2A football championship game. The Lumberjacks (11-0) face the Declo Hornets (10-2) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. PST at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

A few girls basketball teams opened their seasons last weekend, but most of the rest get started this week.

On Tuesday, Post Falls opens at Sandpoint (0-1), Lakeland begins its season at Timberlake (1-0), and St. Maries travels to Kootenai in the season opener for both, all at 7 p.m. In 6 p.m. tips, Coeur d’Alene Charter visits Mullan (0-2) and Lakeside takes on North Idaho Christian at Holy Family Catholic School in Coeur d’Alene.

Lake City begins its season Thursday at home vs. Sandpoint.

Genesis Prep opens Nov. 29 at the Coeur d’Alene junior varsity, and Coeur d’Alene begins Dec. 1 at home vs. Shadle Park.

FOLLOWING A week off, the North Idaho College volleyball team returns to action at the Northwest Athletic Conference championships, which run Thursday through Sunday in Tacoma.

NIC (19-12, 14-2 NWAC) finished tied for first with Walla Walla in the East Region.

NIC’s men’s basketball team begins its season with games Friday and Saturday in Portland.

NIC’s women’s basketball team opens with three games in three days in Arizona, starting Friday.

It’s the first season for NIC’s volleyball and basketball teams in the NWAC, after more than four decades in the NJCAA.

NIC’s wrestling team plays host to Clackamas on Friday, hosts the Cardinal Duals on Saturday, and competes in the Spokane Open on Sunday at the Spokane Convention Center.

SEVERAL LOCALS are expected to be on the card for Thursday’s King of the Cage mixed martial arts event at the Coeur d’Alene Casino.

High school boys basketball practices began Friday, with season openers still a couple of weeks away.

And today is the first day of high school wrestling practice.