THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Streaks, streaks and more streaks

"Why do you only mention streaks when they end?"

Nobody actually said that to us, when we noted that Timberlake's 42-game win streak in Intermountain League girls basketball games had been snapped by Kellogg last Tuesday.

There was no big headline when Timberlake won its 41st straight league game.

Or 40th ...

Or 39th ...

Anyway, we got to thinking that some streaks deserve some mention as well, and not just when they end.

Since the beginning of the 2008-09 season, which has seen Timberlake make 11 trips to state in 13 seasons, the Tigers are 80-16 in Intermountain League games — and that includes a 1-5 league mark in 2012-13, one of those two seasons Timberlake didn't go to state.

Prior to the 42-game win streak that just ended, there were no similar streaks between 2008 and 2015, when that long win streak began.

The Tigers lost at least one game during each of those seven seasons, but didn't lose many — they sported league records of 8-2, 7-1, 7-1, 5-3, the aforementioned 1-5, 4-2 and 5-1.

That one league loss came in Timberlake's final league game of 2015 — and the Tigers didn't lose another one until last week.

So still impressive, nevertheless.

POST FALLS' boys basketball team has beaten Lakeland 27 straight times, dating back to Lakeland's last win over the Trojans on Jan. 25, 2001.

The Hawks nearly ended the streak last season, but Post Falls emerged with a couple hard-fought victories, including a 51-48 triumph in Rathdrum.

Lakeland plays at Post Falls on Saturday in their only meeting of this season.

COEUR d'ALENE's girls basketball team had a 10-year run from the 2004-05 season to the 2013-14 campaign where the Vikings went to state every year. During that span, Coeur d'Alene was 76-12 in league play — five years in the combined 5A/4A IEL, five seasons in the 5A IEL.

The Vikings' best league win streak was 25 straight IEL wins, starting late in the 2005-06 season and ending late in the 2007-08 season.

Coeur d'Alene had a 25-game home winning streak that was halted in the 2007-08 season, and won 41 straight games at one point starting late in the 2008 season and ending in the 2009-10 season.

Coeur d'Alene's football team has many impressive streaks, one of which being making the playoffs each of the past 13 seasons. Lake City had a stretch of 16 straight playoff appearances in football from 1997 to 2012.

St. Maries volleyball had one of the most impressive streaks ever, with its 10 straight state A-2 titles from 1984-93, and 11 state titles in 12 seasons (starting in 1982).

Also as impressive — the Lumberjacks won 42 straight matches at state, from 1984-94.

Also impressive — St. Maries lost just three sets during that 42-match win streak at state, and won 84.

The Lumberjacks did not drop a set at state for seven straight tournaments — from 1984-90.

St. Maries dropped two sets en route to the 1991 title, but didn't lose another set until the semifinal in 1994, when the ’Jacks won the best-of-3 (sideout scoring to 15) match in three sets.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.