Greg Lee

The 2A Great Northern League is shrinking by two schools and the 1A Northeast A will have a net gain of one with eight schools when the next four-year classification cycle kicks in next fall in Washington, according to enrollment numbers released Wednesday by the WIAA. And the Greater Spokane League will tilt out of balance when University moves to 4A. The league will have six 4A schools and four 3A schools. Mead’s enrollment could have placed it in 3A, but it opted to remain in 4A. Gonzaga Prep, with 2A numbers, has also opted to play at the 4A level.

Alan Stanfield drove to the home of the top returning Shadle Park football player last Friday. Stanfield shared with record-setting junior quarterback Brett Rypien that he had been offered the offensive coordinator position at Whitworth University.

In a game that featured difficult stretches for both teams, the Coeur d'Alene Vikings had the most determination in the end. The Vikings overcame some frigid shooting from the free-throw line, especially late, to knock off the Lake City Timberwolves 58-54 in a hard-fought 5A Inland Empire League opener before a crowd of 1,700 Tuesday at LC.

Seven area athletes checked off one of their big goals for the season Saturday in the 42nd Tri-State wrestling tournament. Colton Orrino of Central Valley, Tate Orndorff of University, Izaec Quintanilla of North Central, Bryce Parson and Ryan Klemp of Lewiston, TJ Baun of Colville and Dalton Young of Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) each captured individual championships in action at North Idaho College’s Rolly Williams Court.

It possesses the quality of a state tournament, but in reality it’s bigger than a state tournament. The 42nd edition of the Tri-State wrestling tournament will be no different – though the tourney’s reach has long extended beyond the three original states of Idaho, Washington and Montana.

Before we close the book on fall prep sports, it’s worth one final look at the various feats. You want state championships? There were state titles aplenty this fall.

When is breaking your leg a good thing? If you ask Post Falls head football coach Jeff Hinz he’ll tell you he’s fortunate he broke his on Thanksgiving morning.

The State 2B football championship game is chock-full of storylines. First, there’s the rematch when the defending state champ Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos (12-0) face the Morton-White Pass Timberwolves (12-0) at the Tacoma Dome on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is at 4.

As predicted a year ago, the Lake City boys basketball team captured the 5A Inland Empire League championship and the Region I title. And when the Timberwolves advanced to state, they expected to fare well. Two humbling losses later and Lake City was on the charter bus for Coeur d’Alene.