Not just about the win and loss

You’ve really got to admire these high school athletes these days.

Especially those that play in our neck of the woods.

Sometimes, it’s just as simple of thinking about their neighbors or the community as a whole, but there’s more to athletics than just who wins or loses.

WITH THE shooting at Freeman High last Wednesday, it could have been simple to just cancel games and rescheduled for when things were a little more convenient for those involved.

Lakeside High didn’t.

The Knights weren’t going to reschedule a North Star League volleyball match against visiting Mullan on Thursday night, though the Knights are some 25 miles from Freeman.

Instead, the small schools came together to remember and dedicate the night to the Scotties volleyball team, a team Lakeside doesn’t have on its schedule, with some players the Knights will never meet in person.

Still, Lakeside decked the gym with #Freeman strong posters and wanted to do something to help pass good thoughts along, even if it was just to remember and show that the school was on everyone’s minds.

A night later, at the Post Falls High football game against Cheney, a moment of silence was held before the playing of the national anthem, likewise to pay tribute to those affected last Wednesday.

Whether they’re 100 miles away, or just down the street, the event affected everyone.

And with those acts, it showed it.

AND IN case you’ve missed it, this year has been a little too smoky to play a lot of prep games.

Really, a bunch. Some teams wound up going more than two weeks without playing a game.

Between smoke and a postponement for a family emergency, the Lake City girls soccer team last played on Aug. 26 before finally taking to the field again on Sept. 12, then played again on the following day before closing out a busy stretch on Monday night by playing to a 1-1 draw with Lewis and Clark at Joe Albi Stadium.

“We were actually behind when we got hit with the smoke,” Lake City coach Matt Ruchti said. “The Moscow game (Aug. 29) we had to cancel. Usually by this point in the season, we’ve worked some things out.”

Lake City is scheduled to host Post Falls tonight at 6:30 under the lights at the football field. Weather permitting of course.

“We’re just trying to make the puzzle work right now,” Ruchti said.

And they’re doing the best they can, having to cancel the remainder of the nonleague games with 4A Inland Empire League schools. The remainder of the schedule — five as of Tuesday afternoon — will be against 5A IEL opponents with regionals scheduled to begin on Oct. 5.

This fall has been one to remember, maybe for all the wrong reasons.

Hopefully sometime in the next few weeks, there’s a little bit to celebrate.

We could use it right now.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.