THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016
In a little under a week, Kootenai County will become the hub for the highest classification of soccer in the state, hosting the state 5A boys and girls tournaments at three different locations.
Hopefully the weather is a little better when that time arrives than that of when teams from the state’s smallest classification were battling to determine who gets to state.
YOU CAN blame a majority of the players hitting the ground in the boys 3A District 1-2 championship match on rain causing the ground to be a lot soggier than what teams played on in the semifinals.
Then again, after playing matches on three different fields, with opening-round play at Sunrise Rotary Field in Rathdrum, semifinals at Post Falls High and championship games at the Irma Anderl Soccer Complex at Lake City High, it was hard to get used to the surface.
“I think it neutralized the teams,” St. Maries coach Chris Renaldo said. “There wasn’t much ball control in this weather. But it’s the same way for both teams. Unfortunately, it takes some of the finesse out of the game.”
Bonners Ferry coach Wayne Wilkerson agreed.
“This weather really does even the teams out,” Wilkerson said. “I don’t like playing in the rain, but it is what it is. But we both had to deal with it.”
Then again, Bonners Ferry has won every district championship since 2005, with a runner-up finish to Orofino in 2004 being the lone year the Badgers have failed to win the title in the past 18 years.
St. Maries beat Bonners Ferry in the season opener for both schools on Aug. 20 at City Park in St. Maries — the first time the Lumberjacks have ever beaten the Badgers. Win or lose in today’s play-in match, St. Maries will only lose a few seniors off this year’s team.
“We’ve got 10 sophomores,” Renaldo said. “Two years ago, we had them in the Post Falls Parks and Recreation league, and you can tell that they’re developing. We’re going to lose Gage (Mitchell) and Stephen (Davenport), but these guys are going to get a little bigger, a little stronger, and they’ve already gotten technically with the game. So the future’s bright.”
WHILE THE fates of the Lake City boys, Coeur d’Alene girls and St. Maries boys will be determined today, you’ve really got to hand it to these programs.
Lake City is in the first year under coach Alan Rich and graduated a handful of players off its team from last year that finished third in the state 5A tournament.
Coeur d’Alene advanced to state the past two seasons as well, losing in last year’s state consolation championship game to Rocky Mountain High of Meridian.
St. Maries has been close, but has yet to qualify for the state tournament with Bonners Ferry having a stranglehold over the 3A district crown for the past decade.
Should any of these teams play half as well today in play-in matches as in those championship efforts, they shouldn’t be packing things up any time soon.
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 @JEPressSports.