THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: The weather isn't always bad up here during state tourney time — or is it?

The weather isn't ALWAYS rotten when state high school tournaments come to North Idaho.

Folks from the Boise area might have seen pictures online of that little skiff of snow we had here on Friday, and said "See, this is why we should have always have state soccer in our neck of the woods."

OK, they do have a point, weather-wise. But otherwise ...

Since the state boys and girls basketball tournaments are always in the Boise area, and the state wrestling tournaments are always in either Pocatello or Nampa, seems only fair that some of the other state events are farmed out to North Idaho — state volleyball and softball is up here every other year, and state soccer and golf every few years.

WHAT'S FUNNY — OK, maybe it wasn't so funny if you had to stand outside on Friday at a soccer match and later a football game, while it snowed nearly 8 inches — but the reason state soccer was moved up a week a few years back was to avoid a little minor weather disturbance like this.

Next weekend, when state soccer used to be held, temperatures are expected to be in the low 50s, with any bad weather (rain) predicted to hold off until Saturday.

"Absolutely, it (state soccer) should be played up here," said Ross Schultz, in his 10th season as girls soccer coach at Timberline of Boise. "A lot of Boise teams will say, look, we have more teams in it, let’s stay in Boise."

Of course, he said this on Thursday, after his team beat Lake City in double overtime, on a chilly but relatively mild day — at least compared to what was to come.

"Last time I was on this field (2016) it was raining to beat the band — and tomorrow it’s going to be snowing to beat the band," Schultz said Thursday. "You always know you have to be ready for the weather, but both teams have to play in it. You can’t let your girls have it as an excuse."

YOU'D THINK that COVID-19 would be the biggest hindrance to having a high school sports season in Idaho this fall.

It was, but it isn't the only one.

Some matches were postponed due to lack of officials. Other games were postponed or canceled because a team didn't have enough players.

Then, some games were called off due to poor air quality, which has happened in previous fall seasons.

One late-September football game was delayed due to lightning — something that usually only happens around here in late August or early September.

Then there was Friday's blizzard, which led Idaho High School Activities Association officials to cancel the consolation championship games in the 5A boys and girls soccer tourneys (which affected Lake City's girls soccer team), and move the final few matches of the boys and girls tourneys down south, rescheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

How ironic that a Lake City team got shorted out of a chance to play for a trophy in girls soccer, when the state 5A consolation game was canceled due to the adjustment in the state soccer schedule.

The Timberwolves were scheduled to play Kuna on Saturday morning, but that game got the kibosh when the remainder of the tourney was moved out of town in search of warmer and drier weather.

How many times has that happened to Lake City's softball team in recent years? Bring that up — even jokingly — to T-Wolf softball coach Jesse Lenz, and his perpetual smile quickly morphs into a frown.

I've only covered three events at the Real Life sports complex in Post Falls, and hopefully it's just a coincidence all three came with weather issues.

The first one was late February 2019, the 1A Division II District 1 boys basketball title game between Genesis Prep and Lakeside, where fans tromped through a blizzard just to get to The Courts at Real Life to watch the game, won by Genesis Prep.

Then in fall 2019, the 3A District 1-2 girls soccer championship game at The Fields at Real Life, won by Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy, was played in a downpour. Fortunately, The Fields consist of artificial turf, and perhaps even more importantly to some, include tents along the sideline.

Then there was Friday's action at The (Snow) Fields at Real Life.

HIGH SCHOOL athletes were denied their spring sports season due to COVID-19. Even Idaho's decision to play as usual in the fall was met with concern and skepticism, especially with neighboring states Washington and Oregon opting to push their fall sports back to the spring.

But unless something catastrophic happens in the next couple of days, the first fall sports state championship event in Idaho will have been completed, with only a few hiccups.

A completion which was desperately needed.

"With everything going on in the world right now, and COVID, it’s a hard decision to do a lot of traveling," Schultz said. "By far, my No. 1 blessing is that these kids are playing. They need to play. Mentally, these kids need to be out, and they need to be exercising, and they need to be competing. And as long as we can do it safe, then let’s do it."

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.