THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016

When you’re trailing in a state title game, and 1 yard from falling behind by even more, then you force a fumble and run it back the length of the field for a touchdown in a momentum-changing play, well, that’s a hint and a half this is your night, and your season.

Kudos to the St. Maries Lumberjacks, who took on all comers, tossed them all aside, and capped a 12-0 season by winning the state 2A title Friday night at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

St. Maries has been building toward this title for a few years, serving notice with a pair of state quarterfinal appearances the past two seasons.

Still every season could use a signature win in the regular season, one that says this could be the year.

The Lumberjacks had three potential ones in the span of four weeks.

In Week 2, St. Maries romped 39-0 at Riverside of Chattaroy, Wash. Many years, a win like that would be huge, but the Rams went on to finish 1-8.

Still ...

The following week, the Lumberjacks hammered Deer Park 46-0 on the Stags’ home field. It was the only loss of the season for Deer Park (10-1), which has advanced to the semifinals of the Washington state 1A playoffs.

Two weeks later, St. Maries took on 3A Timberlake, the bullies of the Intermountain League for years. But the Lumberjacks blistered the visiting Tigers 47-7.

St. Maries’ title was the first won by a District 1 team since Coeur d’Alene won the state 5A crown in 2013 in the Kibbie Dome. And it was by far the shining moment of this season, where no other District 1 team made it past the state quarterfinals.

Now many of the football players will take a short break and move on to basketball.

And St. Maries has been pretty good at that sport in recent years. The Lumberjacks have been to state six times in the past eight years, including the last two. In both years, St. Maries played in the state semifinals. The Lumberjacks finished third in 2015, and fifth last year.

St. Maries has gone 39-10 in boys hoops over the past two seasons.

Check back in 3 1/2 months.

AS FOR Year 3 of the unofficial IEL/GSL challenge, the 5A and 4A Inland Empire League teams went a combined 6-3 vs. their Greater Spokane League brethren.

Coeur d’Alene went 2-0, beating Central Valley and Mead. Lake City was 1-1, beating Lewis and Clark and losing to Central Valley. Post Falls was 1-1, losing to Mead and beating University. Lakeland was 1-0 with a win over Rogers. Sandpoint was 1-1, losing to U-Hi and beating Mt. Spokane.

Hmm ... an IEL/GSL Challenge ... sounds like an idea for a full day of football on a Saturday in early September at Albi Stadium in Spokane.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.