THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: When wrestling and basketball worlds collide

Hanging out at the Sandpoint High gym during my early days at the Daily Bee, one of the things I would find amusing was watching the Bulldog wrestlers, killing time before a match or a practice or a road trip, out there shooting baskets.

I suspect it would be just as funny — and perhaps more dangerous — to watch basketball players try to wrestle.

Both are highly specialized, highly skilled sports, but in largely different ways.

Much respect to wrestlers for the hard work and sweat they go through to become so very good at what they do. That sort of work pays off in dynasties, such as the ones Sandpoint went through in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, and the one Post Falls is in the midst of now.

Ditto for basketball players.

IN ADDITION to being a date that comes along only once every four years, Saturday, Feb. 29 featured that odd convergence of wrestling and basketball.

The Ford Idaho Center in Nampa featured the sounds of basketball for three days last weekend, and will again next weekend.

But on this weekend at the big arena in the Treasure Valley, it was — literally at times — wall-to-wall wrestling, with the state 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A high school wrestling tournaments.

State titles were being won, legacies were being established — or cemented.

Meanwhile, down the road, three North Idaho boys basketball teams had games where the winner moved on to the state, and the loser moved on to spring sports.

At storied Booth Hall in Lewiston, fourth-seeded Lake City was trying to knock off second-seeded Lewiston in the 5A Region 1 second-place game. Lewiston trumpeted the game as the final one at storied Booth Hall, as a new high school in Lewiston is scheduled to open this fall.

Who knew? Had Lewiston upset top-seeded Post Falls in Wednesday’s 5A Region 1 championship game, the last game at storied Booth Hall would have been Lewiston’s 41-39 victory over Coeur d’Alene the previous Friday in the first round at regionals.

Up the road, at nearly as storied Bear Den in Moscow, second-seeded Lakeland was trying to beat top-seeded Moscow in the deciding game of a best-of-3 series for the 4A Region 1 title.

Meanwhile, in Weiser, Timberlake drove some 363 miles and Marsh Valley drove 335 miles for a state 3A play-in game that would decide whether, four days later, Timberlake would drive another 427 miles or Marsh Valley would drive another 274 miles to compete in the actual state tournament at Meridian High beginning Thursday.

AS THE wrestling unfolded, Post Falls, the two-time defending state champion, found itself in a battle with Highland of Pocatello, seeking its first title, and Meridian, which last won in 1987.

Post Falls produced a pair of champions in the finals, and managed to edge Highland by four points for the Trojans’ fifth state title in the last six seasons.

And the only year Post Falls didn’t win the state title during that stretch, the Trojans finished second.

Coeur d’Alene was fourth this year, Lake City fifth, one year after those teams finished second and fourth, respectively. And Timberlake was third in 3A, Lakeland fourth in 4A.

There may have been whispers down south before the tournament that this was the year Post Falls goes down, but the Trojans still had the advantage of the experience of being in these pressure situations before.

There’s something to be said for having been there before.

MEANWHILE, ON the basketball court, Timberlake came up short against Marsh Valley in the first game of the day among locals.

But then word surfaced that Lake City had pulled out a thrilling win over Lewiston at storied Booth Hall, a big win for the young Timberwolves.

And finally Lakeland, making its third trip to Moscow in four days, put up the good fight but fell by three points as the host Bears advanced to state.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.