Greg Lee

Here’s the easiest prediction I’ll make this year: The Coeur d’Alene High girls basketball team will repeat as 5A state champ. This is as much of a guarantee as Coeur d’Alene was of winning last year. The Vikings return four of five starters, including last year’s 5A state player of the year Kama Griffitts, a 6-foot guard. They also bring back all of their key contributors off the bench.

Both Lewis and Clark coach Julie Yearout and her Mead counterpart, Judy Kight, had a common belief Saturday after the District 8 4A championship volleyball match. They both agreed that the title match, won in a five-set marathon by the Tigers, was state-tournament quality. LC held off the Panthers 25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-10 at Squinty Hunter Fieldhouse.

SANDPOINT – When push came to shove, the Mountain Home High football team did just enough pushing and shoving atop the rain-saturated Barlow Stadium field Friday. With the weather relegating play between the tackles for both teams, the visiting Tigers enjoyed the mud bath with a 10-7 win over Sandpoint in a 4A state playoff opener.

No North Idaho football team will win a state championship. Now before anyone says, “Gee, Lee, that’s really stepping out on a limb,” consider that I think a couple of teams actually have a shot at a state title. That would be Lewiston in 5A and Kootenai in 1A Division II.

Sandpoint dominated the special awards as Inland Empire League boys and girls soccer coaches announced their all-league teams. In the boys, Sandpoint junior Daniel Anderson was named most valuable player. Sandpoint junior Adam Crossingham was named offensive player of the year and Sandpoint senior Tanner French was named defensive player of the year. Moscow senior Stephen Gressard was named goalkeeper of the year and Post Falls freshman Scott Benner was named newcomer of the year.

Sandpoint was mad that it had to play, Lakeland felt fortunate to be playing after the way its season had gone the first eight games, and Moscow was thankful to have a second chance when the three teams met Monday to decide North Idaho’s lone 4A state football playoff berth. So Sandpoint, stinging from being upset 38-28 by Lakeland three nights earlier to force the Kansas Tiebreaker, got a measure of revenge against the Hawks 6-0 and then stopped Moscow 7-0 to earn the playoff berth at Coeur d’Alene High’s Viking Field.

The Lewiston High football team made more plays when it counted most Friday. The Bengals’ defense stopped Lake City at the Lewiston 2-yard line and turned around to drive the distance for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter as visiting Lewiston captured the 5A Inland Empire League championship 28-21.

Kinsey Gomez broke onto the Idaho high school cross country scene in a big way as a freshman last year by capturing the 5A state championship. That immediately put a target on the Coeur d’Alene sophomore’s back coming into this season. How has she fared?

Most high school football teams spend part of their Monday video sessions reviewing the previous game. Lake City coach Van Troxel suspended that formality this week. He went directly to the next opponent.

Coeur d’Alene High football coach Shawn Amos didn’t duck the question. He admits his Vikings haven’t played like he thought they would this season. But he likes what he’s seen lately.

The Coeur d’Alene High volleyball team was never in danger Tuesday. But if the Vikings want to achieve the goal they set for state, they’ll have to play much better.

The Coeur d’Alene High volleyball team was equal parts power and finesse Saturday afternoon. The Vikings swung with authority, but also had the presence of mind to place shots in uncovered areas as top-seeded Coeur d’Alene handled No. 4 Post Falls 25-14, 25-17, 25-13 in 5A Region I tournament-opening matches at Elmer Jordan Court.

SANDPOINT – Stop us if you’ve heard something similar before: A team’s scoring leader goes down with what quite possibly could be a season-ending knee injury and her team, inspired by their fallen hero, rallies to win. Sandpoint Bulldogs senior forward Bailey Hewitt crumpled to the ground 23 minutes into the match Thursday in excruciating pain, clutching her left knee, after being bumped by a CdA defender. Still in shock by what had happened, Sandpoint watched visiting Coeur d’Alene take a 1-0 lead about 7 minutes later.