THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Early tests on, off the soccer field

High school soccer is an interesting sport sometimes.

It’s not often that a team can play one-fourth of their games even before that first day of school.

Then again, you kind of have to play the games when you can.

WITH SOME dates open on their schedule, both Post Falls and Lake City High are playing host to Madison of Rexburg and Thunder Ridge of Idaho Falls this weekend. Post Falls hosted Thunder Ridge on Friday, with the schools flopping opponents today.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Lake City boys soccer coach Alan Rich said. “It’s a little more packed in, but it’s nice to get some preseason games outside your district and be able to work on some things."

For both the Lake City boys and girls programs, today’s games with Thunder Ridge are the fifth so far this season. The regular season began on Aug. 20.

Then again, it can only help, right?

“Both Madison and Thunder Ridge are really going to push Highland for that top seed in the east,” Lake City girls soccer coach Matt Ruchti said. “After this weekend, we should have a better idea of where we need to solve some problems.”

ANOTHER BIG problem some of the smaller schools are facing is low numbers, with some unable to field a junior varsity program.

“I don’t think there’s as many kids playing club soccer in the Post Falls and Rathdrum area,” Post Falls boys soccer coach Gabe Lawson said. “You really don’t see those kids coming through in the numbers we used to have.”

Lawson led Post Falls to the state 5A title in 2012, and another appearance in the title game in 2017.

“With COVID, kids weren’t allowed to play club soccer because there wasn’t a season,” Lawson said. “It got them out of the mix and some kids didn’t come back to playing. They’re struggling for numbers at Lakeland, but our girls program at Post Falls, its numbers have more than doubled this year.”

In 2016, The Academy (Post Falls), Lakeland Nighthawks (Rathdrum) and Coeur d’Alene Sting merged into what is now known as the Timbers-Thorns North FC soccer club.

Timberlake's girls soccer program, based off the growth of the Nighthawks, played its first season in 2008. In 2014, the Tiger boys program started.

“For a few years, the Nighthawk program was bringing us some players each season,” said Timberlake girls soccer coach Steve Michael, who also used to coach the Tiger boys team. “With that shutting down, some of our kids can’t afford to play at that level in Coeur d’Alene and just have stopped playing. It’s getting worse and worse each season, and you can see it with the numbers.”

Michael noted that Timberlake’s girls started with 16 this season, with a few more hopefully to join when school starts. Timberlake advanced to the state 3A championship game in 2014, losing to Coeur d’Alene Charter in an all-Intermountain League final.

“We’ve always been able to scrap a team together and campaign to get players,” Michael said. “But it’s getting harder and harder to put a program together.”

Already in the Intermountain League, Kellogg and Orofino are unable to field girls teams this fall, due to low numbers.

“It’s just getting harder and harder, and I know it’s not just a Timberlake thing,” Michael said. “But we’ll scrap it together and compete when it’s time to compete.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The 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.