THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Cd'A girls soccer, and other impressive feats

Before this season, the last time Coeur d'Alene won the 5A Inland Empire League in girls soccer, Hailey Smith of the Vikings was named league MVP, and she was joined on the all-league team by teammates Rachel Crawford, Megan Roletto and Whitney Wood.

The year was 2009.

That was also the last year Coeur d'Alene won the regional title in girls soccer.

Coeur d'Alene's girls soccer team clinched its first league title in 11 seasons last week, the Vikings' first under Andy Vredenburg, in his eighth season as coach (62-49-13).

He's taken the Vikings to state three times, including consolation titles last year and in 2015.

Coeur d'Alene's last regional title in girls soccer was also in 2009. Since then, Lake City has won eight of 10 regional titles, including the last seven. Post Falls took regionals in 2012, and Lewiston won its only regional title in 2011.

The last time Coeur d'Alene won the league and regional titles was 2009. That year, the Vikings lost in the consolation title game at state — to Lake City.

Before 2009, the last time Coeur d'Alene girls won a league and regional title in the same year was 2006 — and that year, the Vikings went on to win the state title. It was Coeur d'Alene's first state title since 1991.

Back in those days, the state soccer tournaments were considered "invitational" tourneys. The Idaho High School Activities Association didn't start sponsoring state soccer tournaments until 2000.

But, IHSAA-sponsored or not, the thrill of victory was still the same.

WHEN THE Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy girls soccer team lost 3-1 to a mix of junior varsity and varsity players from 5A Lake City on Monday, it was only the second loss since the 2016 season for the 3A Panthers.

Coeur d'Alene Charter's lone loss in 2019 was to Freeman (Wash.). So the Panthers haven't lost to an Idaho team its own size since 2016, when Timberlake beat them in Intermountain League play.

Matt Ruchti, in his 18th season as Lake City's coach, heaped plenty of praise on the Panthers and their coach, Stacy Smith, saying this might be Charter's best team.

Which is saying something.

Charter is the four-time defending state champs, all under Smith, who is 80-5-3 since taking over for Dave Baxter starting with the 2016 season.

And the Panthers will be heavily favored to make it five state titles in a row when the state 3A tournament is played on the Panthers' home turf, The Fields at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, the weekend of Oct. 22-24.

Smith, by the way, was an assistant under Ruchti at Lake City for several seasons, including 2015, when the Timberwolves reached the state title game.

Also, by the way, Coeur d'Alene Charter was pretty good under Baxter, who went 54-21-6 in four seasons after starting the program in 2012. The Panthers didn't go to state the first year, then won the consolation title at state in 2013, beat Timberlake for their first state title in 2014, then finished runner-up to Weiser in 2015.

So that's six straight trips to the state title game for Charter, with five state titles, including the last four.

Kudos to the Panthers for challenging themselves against the best teams in North Idaho this season. Charter had Coeur d'Alene beaten before the Vikings scored late to salvage a 3-all tie.

The Panthers own two wins over another 5A school, Post Falls, and travel to 5A Lewiston on Monday.

Kudos, also, to those 5A schools for giving Charter a shot at them.

VANDER BROWN burst onto the scene last year as a confident freshman point guard, playing a key role off the bench as the Lakeside Knights rolled through an undefeated season and captured the program's first state title since 1997.

This fall, in his first season of football, Brown is making a similar impact.

The 5-foot-10, 135-pound Brown has rushed for 594 yards and seven touchdowns on just 21 carries for Lakeside (3-1, 1-0 Scenic Idaho Conference). That's an average of 28.3 yards per carry. He also has an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Listed as a wide receiver, Brown gets some carries on jet sweeps. He also lines up some at running back, is the backup quarterback, and also runs out of wildcat formation as well.

"Vander is a very athletic player who can do many things for us on the football field," Lakeside football coach Chris Dohrman said. "He really complements our other players we have and is a great athlete to coach."

Brown is not the only one running for chunks of yardage for Lakeside. Senior Jayson Hall, another key member of the basketball title team who has had a stellar career at Lakeside, has rushed for 501 yards and seven TD in four games — an average of 17.9 yards per carry. His big game was a 249-yard, two-TD effort in a 42-28 win at Clark Fork.

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.