THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: One loud, crazy night in the gym(s)

Having one gymnasium packed for an intense night of prep sports is a great thing, considering at this time last year, many fans had to watch on a computer.

But two, just mere feet from each other, that’s just something to remember.

THURSDAY WAS one of those rare nights when Coeur d’Alene High had the chance to play host to a wrestling match, as well as a regional girls basketball game.

And yes, it was loud once again.

As it so happened, the opponent for the Vikings in both occasions happened to be Post Falls, a big draw whether the event is in the regular season or postseason.

If it’s a secret that both Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene are contenders for the state 5A wrestling championship in two weeks at Holt Arena, it’s not a well-kept one.

In the wrestling match moved to the smaller Elmer Jordan Court to accommodate the basketball game taking place at Viking Court, the Vikings and Trojans battled down to the final bout, with the Trojans winning the dual 39-38.

“It was a wild night,” Post Falls coach Pete Reardon said. “It was a great atmosphere. When the Trojans and Vikings wrestle, you know you’re going to see guys fighting hard and fans cheering the entire time.”

Coeur d’Alene won its last 5A wrestling title in 2011, when the Vikings repeated as state champs. Since then, Post Falls has won five state titles, including three straight from 2018 to 2020, before Meridian claimed the title in 2021.

With the basketball game starting at 6:30 p.m., and wrestling shortly after 7, some fans even trickled in from the basketball game to see the end of the wrestling match.

“Their fans showed up,” Reardon said. “Our fans showed up as well. It was a great night for wrestling.”

“It was a great atmosphere and great crowd,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Moffat said. “I’m proud of our kids. We didn’t get beat by a lack of effort. In that last match, we just needed about three more seconds. We’ve just got to keep working hard and we’ll see what happens.”

NOT TO be outdone, in front of packed lower bleachers at Viking Court, the Trojans, seeded third at the 5A Region 1 girls basketball tournament, upset top-seeded Coeur d’Alene 75-72 to advance to a state play-in game today in Grangeville.

The loss ended the season for Coeur d’Alene, which concluded 19-5 after going 9-0 in Inland Empire League play for the second straight season. Senior Skylar Burke, who has signed with UC Santa Barbara, scored 32 points in her final game for the Vikings.

“Skylar Burke deserved to go to state this year,” Coeur d’Alene coach Nicole Symons said. “And that’s the part that hurts me. For what she’s put in the last four years as a four-year starter. That’s where, and for all our seniors, that one gets me. It’s important to them.”

Post Falls is bidding for its third straight trip to state today, with Owyhee of Meridian trying to make it in its first year after opening in the fall. The Trojans have advanced to state in four of the last five seasons, winning the title in 2018.

“We’ve got a little bit of film on them from some previous games down south, so we’ll take a look at that,” Post Falls coach Marc Allert said. “We’ll see what we’ve got coming there.”

Owyhee was the fifth seed in the District 3 (Boise area) tournament. Rocky Mountain, the sixth seed from District 3 has already advanced to state as well.

Post Falls beat Rocky Mountain 55-22 on Dec. 4 at Post Falls High. Rocky lost by three at Owyhee on Jan. 8 in their lone meeting.

“It was good to see some different competition and see what the teams are like down there,” Allert said. “Owyhee finished in the middle of the pack with those guys down there, so it kind of gives us an idea where they’re at and how we can match up with them.”

Then again …

“Those (December) games were a long time ago,” Allert said. “So we’ll see what happens.”

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 [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.