A look back at a soggy high school sports year

The championship season in Idaho high school athletics started in the rain.

And its finish was pushed back a day due to rain.

But in between ...

THEY MOVED up the state soccer tournaments a week a few years ago, mostly to avoid snow.

But, as we’ve learned this winter and spring, it can rain any time.

And it nearly did.

The state 5A boys and girls soccer tournaments began on a Thursday morning on soggy fields at Post Falls and Lake City high schools. By the time Saturday’s state title games rolled around, the skies had cleared enough at Coeur d’Alene High, where the Viking boys, sparked by junior goalkeeper Shawn McKeeken, had emerged as a finalist off a thrilling semifinal win over Centennial on penalty kicks. Alas, Coeur d’Alene’s run ended with a 3-1 loss to Boise in the finals.

Meanwhile, Lake City’s girls reached the title game on a golden goal in the semis, then saved some more drama for the finals at Coeur d’Alene High, beating Rocky Mountain on penalty kicks — easing the pain somewhat of the previous year’s final, in which the Timberwolves lost on penalty kicks.

Meanwhile, in Twin Falls, Coeur d’Alene Charter won its second state 3A girls soccer title in three years, and first under first-year coach Stacy Smith.

St. Maries took the spotlight in football, winning its first state title in dominating fashion, thumping its four foes in the state 2A playoffs by a combined 118-42.

The game of the year was Lewiston’s wild 55-51 victory over visiting Coeur d’Alene in the league opener in early October (naturally it rained during that game as well). Neither team, however, made it past the state 5A quarterfinals.

In volleyball, Timberlake made it to the state 3A title match for the first time in school history, before settling for second. And St. Maries placed third in 2A.

In cross country, Landon Chang of Coeur d’Alene Charter won the 3A boys race at state.

IN WRESTLING, Post Falls’ bid for a three-peat (or three-Pete) in 5A came up just short, as the Pete Reardon-coached Trojans finished second to Columbia of Nampa at the state tournament in February in Nampa. Ridge Lovett (113 pounds) and Matt McLeod (120) won their second straight state titles for Post Falls.

Casey Randles (182) did three-peat, winning a state title at Coeur d’Alene after winning the previous two years at Sandpoint. Viking teammate Alex Marshall won at 220.

Rusty Dan won a state title at 195, only the second Lake City wrestler to do so, and the first since 2002.

Lakeland went 5 for 5 in the finals en route to a third-place finish in 4A. Alex Edelblute (98) Sam Edelblute (106), Will Edelblute (113), Larry Johnson (138) and Jared Walker (195) all won titles.

Dylan Edwards of St. Maries won a 2A title at 152.

In basketball, Timberlake’s girls repeated as state 3A champs as expected, but it was anything but easy — the Tigers needed a late 3-pointer by Idaho signee Allison Kirby to fend off Sugar-Salem 60-57 in the title game at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

With no healthy seniors, Post Falls was expected to be a contender for a state title in 5A next year. But the Trojans nearly arrived a year early, placing third this year after a three-point loss to Eagle in the semifinals.

Genesis Prep’s girls took third at state in 1A Division II, in the Jaguars’ first trip to state.

Genesis Prep’s boys, in just their second trip to state, won the 1A Division II title — and, almost immediately, had to answer questions about its use of international students. Either way, with just one senior on the roster, the Jaguars figure to be state contenders for the next few years as well.

St. Maries continued a strong year by its boys teams with a third-place finish in 2A.

SPRING WAS a literal and figurative mess, with many of March’s events rained out.

It was a wonder North Idaho athletes ended up doing as well as they did.

In Boise, several local athletes won state track and field titles. Grady Leonard of Coeur d’Alene defended his state 5A title in the shot put — an event in which he boasted one of the top marks in the country at 67 feet — and also won a state title in the discus.

Post Falls junior Melody Kempton won the state 5A girls high jump for the third straight year.

Parker Walton of Post Falls won the 5A boys 400 meters with a picturesque dive at the finish line. And Lake City’s Alex Ayers won the 5A boys 300 intermediate hurdles.

North Idaho hosted the state 5A and 4A softball tournaments as part of its every-other-year rotation. While the 4As at Post Falls somehow escaped the rain and finished on time, the 5As were pushed back to a Sunday finish for the second straight year because of rain in Coeur d’Alene.

That left Eagle, Boise and Kuna to stick around our area for an extra day, joining Lake City to settle things on a rare warm day. Lake City lost twice to defending champion Eagle on the final day, including a 4-3 setback in the title game. But with a roster loaded with sophomores, juniors and freshmen, and just two seniors, the Timberwolves figure to be back in the state title hunt again next year.

And, at that point, it will be up to whether the weather will let the 5As finish their softball season as scheduled.

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.