Borah Blocks Route To State Championship

The Lake City and Sandpoint girls basketball teams will take home trophies from the State A-1 Tournament this weekend.

Lake City will finish second, Sandpoint third.

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Both teams are capable of capturing a state championship.

There’s just a slight problem. Undefeated Borah stands in the way.

Sandpoint figures to get the first shot at the Lions in the semifinals on Friday. Don’t count the Bulldogs out for one reason: Alli Nieman.

Nieman wants to finish her star-studded career with one more state title. She’s won two state titles in volleyball, but none in basketball.

Borah will have its hands full trying to defend Nieman. And if the supporting cast plays well, then you have the makings of an upset.

This is the best team Borah coach Jim Pankratz has had, and nothing less than a state title will be satisfactory.

By winning the Region I title, Lake City put itself in the best bracket - opposite Borah and Sandpoint.

It won’t be a cakewalk, mind you, but Lake City should advance to the championship.

Lake City has improved measurably since an early season loss to Borah (64-54) in Boise.

This was supposed to be a transition year in many ways for Lake City.

First, the group that carried LC and the final team at Coeur d’Alene - Melissa Dodge, Jennifer Kerns, Nicole Nipp, Shannon Riggs - before the split two years ago to state titles graduated.

Second, the man largely responsible for building the powerhouse program (Dave Fealko) retired.

While the past has been dominated by Fealko-Dave Stockwell teams, the future could be dominated by Stockwell’s teams. He will start three sophomores and one junior today at state, and talent is well-stocked in the younger programs.

So the state field this weekend could be taking a look at the state champion for the next couple of years.

The elusive intangible that could cause Lake City to arrive a year earlier could be this: Tradition.

Tradition, you ask? For a second-year school?

The Stockwell-Fealko program is much older than the school.

Just a thought.

While on the subject of trophies, give the State A-2 title to Moscow, the fourth in five years for coach Sally Greene.

Yes Greene had Heather Owen for the first three titles, but any doubts about her coaching abilities have been put to rest soundly the past two seasons.

She’s one of the top coaches in the state, period.

Miscellaneous

How dominating was the Sandpoint wrestling team in its 66-12 victory over Lake City recently?

Sandpoint recorded 10 first-period pins in a combined time of 12 minutes, 33 seconds.

“It was the fastest dual I’ve ever been to,” Sandpoint coach Dan Taylor. “We started at five after seven and I think we were done at 7:30.”

Coeur d’Alene takes on Sandpoint next week. Quipped CdA coach Pat Corbett, “I don’t think our match will last only 25 minutes.”

We said going into the girls A-1 Region I Tournament two weeks ago that a couple of good teams would see their seasons end prematurely. That’s what happened to Lewiston and Post Falls, teams in any other year would represent the Panhandle well at state.

But Lake City and Sandpoint were in the way.

“I’m very pleased, very pleased (with the season),” Post Falls coach Chris Johnson said. “We won 13 games. I thought we exceeded most peoples’ estimation of what kind of team we’d be.”

Crown the Kellogg boys co-Inland Empire League champions with Lake City.

Kellogg finished its non-league games against IEL teams 5-0 with its victory over Post Falls last Saturday. Kellogg defeated Post Falls twice and Lake City, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint once.

Kellogg didn’t play Lewiston, but don’t be surprised if the Wildcats add Lewiston to its schedule in years to come. Kellogg coach Tony Kerfoot and Lewiston coach Dick Richel are friends, going way back to playing fastpitch softball together during the early years of their coaching careers in southern Idaho.

, DataTimes