Rivals could meet in final

It hasn’t happened in the 13-year existence of the crosstown rivalry, but there is history supporting an all-North Idaho final in the big-school division of the state girls basketball tourney.

The year was 1984 and the matchup featured Sandpoint at Coeur d’Alene for the A-1 state championship – back when the tournaments were rotated among the three regions of the state.

So what are the chances of Coeur d’Alene and Lake City meeting in the state title game Saturday at the Idaho Center in Nampa? The best odds appear this week – more so than the two previous times the schools qualified for state the same year.

Both schools essentially returned their teams intact from a year ago when the Vikings played for the state title and the Timberwolves played for the consolation title.

For the teams to end up playing each other in the Idaho Center on Saturday, they’ll each likely have to beat two District III (Boise-area) teams. No. 1-ranked CdA (20-2) and fifth-ranked LC (20-4) open against Boise’s best today when the Timberwolves go against District III champ Borah (20-2) at 12:15 p.m. PST and the Vikings take on defending state champ and District III runner-up Centennial (19-3) four hours later in a rematch of the 2006 final.

“We both have tough first-round games, so we can’t look past (today), but I don’t see why we can’t be playing each other on Saturday,” LC coach Darren Taylor said. “We’re both playing solid teams, but they’re nothing like the old Boise and Timberline teams that we had to play (earlier in the decade).”

CdA coach Dale Poffenroth wouldn’t be surprised if the Vikings and T-Wolves see each other in the state final.

“It’s quite possible if we both get by the first games,” Poffenroth said. “(But) funny things happen if you look past teams.”

If the Panhandle teams win their openers, it’s possible they’ll face District III teams in the semifinals. Vallivue of Caldwell (17-6), the 4A state champ a year ago, is on Coeur d’Alene’s side of the bracket; Boise (17-6) is on LC’s side.

“I think there are four teams that can win the state title and two will be gone because they’re playing each other right away,” Taylor said of the openers involving the T-Wolves and Vikings. “By far these are the two best teams we’ve taken to state in the same year.”

Right now, though, neither CdA nor LC is looking beyond today.

Of the two teams, LC has the most difficult opener. The T-Wolves take on a team that took third last year after the Vikings knocked off the Lions in the semifinals.

Second-ranked Borah qualified for state by winning a third straight district title. But the Lions haven’t backed up that success with a state title. Borah’s last state title came in 2001.

Centennial, rated third in the final poll, lost some key parts from its 2006 title team. Three starters were scheduled to return, but one transferred to Vallivue. The Patriots’ core has limited state experience.

Still, 20-year Centennial coach Emery Roy always seems to get his teams to play their best at state. The Pats have won five state titles under Roy.

Seven Vikings, including this year’s starting lineup, got quality minutes in the 58-45 loss to Centennial.

Roy was impressed with CdA last year.

“They’re amazing,” Roy said after the title game. “When you look out there and they have like three freshmen and a couple of sophomores – and with the poise they play (with), it’s amazing. They’re heads-up ballplayers for their age.”

Poffenroth likes the fact that his team is a year older.

“More experience overall and more depth on the bench than last year,” Poffenroth said when asked what he likes about the 2007 team.

Poffenroth, in his third year at CdA, coached three teams at Central Valley to state titles. The Vikings have their sites set on nothing less.

“It has to be a goal,” Poffenroth said. “If you don’t start the year with that goal, then why start it out at all?”

CdA’s two seniors, Lindsey Stark and Jenna DeLong, believe the Vikings will bring home a championship banner.

“If we play good defense and outrebound teams we’ll do well,” Stark said. “Poff says that every rebound, every loose ball, has a championship ring tied to it. We’re going after every ball.”

CdA won the rebounding battle in its first two games at state last year. But the Pats outrebounded the Vikings 36-19. So the Vikings know what they must do to latch on to a championship ring.