THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016
With area schools getting back into session on Tuesday, the students aren’t the only ones learning this fall.
Whether it’s more about a team’s identity or just where the next player bound for success might be located, these first couple weeks of the fall sports season have been pretty educational.
IT MIGHT be a little difficult for Timberlake senior midfielder Cody Bentley to go unnoticed on the soccer field this year. All he’s done thus far is help the Tigers to a 5-0-1 start to the season.
That’s right, a high school team has already played six matches this season. In a little bit of a scheduling quirk, Timberlake’s boys soccer team played a doubleheader two weeks ago in Orofino, beating the Maniacs 9-1 then later beating Grangeville 3-0. Through six matches, Bentley has scored 17 of the team’s 30 goals this season.
Bentley, who also is the kicker on the Tigers’ football team, kicked two extra points during the team’s 24-20 loss at Frenchtown (Mont.) last Saturday.
According to his father Bert, who coaches the Timberlake boys soccer team, Bentley made a 53-yard field goal to give the Tigers the lead in the fourth quarter, only to have it called back after the Tigers had 12 players on the field.
“He’s been hitting kicks of over 50 yards in practice,” Bert Bentley said. “He’s really enjoying doing both.”
Keep in mind that Cade Coffey, who played goalkeeper at Lakeland High, is now at Idaho on a football scholarship. Bentley is drawing interest from colleges, but for soccer as of now.
Definitely something to keep an eye on in Spirit Lake as the fall moves on.
FOR THOSE fans of the Seattle Seahawks fans, what have you really learned this preseason?
• Hail Mary passes, whether at home or on the road, aren’t just limited to the starting quarterback.
• The offensive line, coached by former Idaho head coach Tom Cable, is going to be a work in progress.
• That previous experience with a founding member of the “Legion of Boom” isn’t guaranteed a roster spot.
And that come the regular season, Marshawn Lynch really, really won’t be with the team.
Remember folks, it is just the preseason and most of those players that were either blocking or catching the 37-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Trevone Boykin to Tanner McEvoy to beat the Kansas City Chiefs following a two-point conversion with no time remaining, are likely looking for work instead of preparing with the rest of this team for the regular season opener vs. the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 11.
A little over a week later, Seattle lost — at home — to the Minnesota Vikings, who played without Adrian Peterson and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Now, with Bridgewater out for the season after a freak accident at practice, they’ll have to go the entire way without him this year.
Considering that Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls really haven’t done much in a game yet, it’s hard to tell where this team is heading right now.
But you can also say that about the other 31 NFL teams at the moment.
They’ve all got the same goal now.
Making sure we’re talking about them when the time comes to crown a champion.
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.