Finding a way to the finish

When it comes to this point in the season, at least from a prep sports perspective, each team is likely dealing with it.

Injuries.

From ankles, illness to more serious issues, nobody’s likely 100 percent at this point.

THIS COULD be a big reason why a lot of wrestling teams schedule duals in the first part of the season, instead of at the end of the season.

Two weeks from today, at Lakeland High in Rathdrum for 5A, 4A and 3A wrestlers, or at Orofino High for those in 2A, the season either continues for those lucky enough to place.

Or, it ends.

Hand it to Coeur d’Alene High senior Mitchell Moffat. He’s not going down without a fight this year.

Moffat, who was injured during the Rollie Lane Invitational in early January, was in the lineup for the 24th annual TerHark Cup against Lake City on Wednesday.

“He’s got a partially torn MCL,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Moffat, who is also Mitchell’s uncle. “We’re going to have to take it easy with him from here on out until regionals probably. He’s wrestled with it since Rollie Lane, and it’s progressively gotten worse.”

Coeur d’Alene has had some injuries throughout its lineup this year, but appears to be getting healthier as regionals rolls around. Lake City was seeking its first Cup win since 2002.

“To have a competitive lineup, we’ve had to move some guys around,” Jeff Moffat said. “Give a lot of credit to those guys (Lake City), it didn’t come easy tonight. We had to work hard, and I’m proud of our guys for responding. We challenged our guys all week to get better, wrestle hard, and don’t let the excitement get to you.”

And for that night, Coeur d’Alene didn’t.

No matter who was in the lineup.

IT COULD be possible to see another former Seattle sports great find his way to a Hall of Fame a little later today.

Whether this is the year or not for Steve Hutchinson, the Seahawks’ left guard in the team’s first appearance in the Super Bowl, it has already been a good year for former Seattle legends.

With the announcement that Seattle Mariner designated hitter Edgar Martinez will join the Baseball Hall of Fame in July, it just might be a little much to entertain the idea of Hutchinson going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame — which announces its Class of 2019 later today — in the same year.

And that’s fine.

When Hutchinson left Seattle, he shined in Minnesota, then Tennessee, but never reached the Super Bowl again. To be fair, it took the Seahawks a few years to get back again, though nobody from that previous team was still with the club when the Seahawks beat Denver five years ago in New Jersey.

While in Seattle, playing alongside Walter Jones, the Seahawks had a ton of success running to the left behind Hutchinson while he was with the team.

Seattle has plugged a lot of guys into the DH role since Martinez retired, with only Nelson Cruz producing an impact for the team from that position.

Hutchison was a special left guard for the Seahawks, and really each team he played for.

Just how special, we’ll find out.

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.