Quick hits
Looking ahead
Eight North Idaho football teams will begin their quests for state championships when the playoffs begin this weekend.
Five of the six games involving the teams will be played in the Panhandle.
The contest that should draw the largest crowd will be at Viking Field where Coeur d’Alene (7-2) and Lake City (6-3) will engage in a rematch Friday a week after the first showdown.
Up the road in Bonner County, Caldwell (8-1) visits Sandpoint (8-1) in 4A and Mullan (4-5) visits Clark Fork (7-0) in 1A Division II 8-man.
In another 4A opener, Post Falls (8-1) travels to Boise to take on Bishop Kelly (9-0).
Kickoff at all the games in the region Friday will be at 7 p.m.
In a pair of Saturday afternoon games, Intermountain League champ Timberlake (7-2) entertains Fruitland (7-2) at 1 in 3A, while Genesee (8-1) travels to Wallace (5-4) at 2 in 1A Division I 8-man.
A more in-depth look at the playoff games will be published Friday.
Looking around
S-R grid rankings
Here are The Idaho Spokesman-Review’s final 5A, 4A and 3A polls:
5A
1. Coeur d’Alene (7-2)
2. Twin Falls (8-1)
3. Centennial (7-2)
4. Lake City (6-3)
5. Highland (6-3)
4A
1. Bishop Kelly (9-0)
2. Sandpoint (8-1)
3. Post Falls (8-1)
4. Caldwell (8-1)
5. tie, Madison (7-2)
Pocatello (7-2)
3A
1. Shelley (8-0)
2. Declo (8-0)
3. Timberlake (7-2)
4. Marsh Valley (8-0)
5. McCall-Donnelly (8-1)
All-league teams
Inland Empire League boys and girls soccer coaches and volleyball coaches have announced their all-league teams.
First-team picks and individual awards are listed here. Complete listing of first-team, second-team and honorable mention picks can be found in the Stat Sheet.
Boys soccer
Coach of year: Eric Louis (Coeur d’Alene). MVP: Joe Hanich (CdA). Attacker of year: Randy Rust (Moscow). Defender of year: Anthony Sorentino (Sandpoint). Goalkeeper of year: Ben Ward (Lakeland). Newcomer of year: Fallon Eborall (CdA).
First team
Goalie: Chris Stobie (Post Falls). Defenders: Alex Day (Lake City), Nick Rowley (PF), Kirby Small (Lakeland), Kyle Van Dyk (Spt). Midfielders: Michael Brewer (Spt), Ashley Evans (PF), Scott Gressard (Mos), K.C. Kirk (CdA). Forwards: Chris Hepperley (Spt), Mike Vredenburg (CdA).
Girls soccer
MVP: Kylie France (Spt). Attacker of year: Jenny Tibbals (Mos). Defender of year: Elle Carne (Spt). GK of year: Ashley Zenner (Lewiston). Newcomer of year: Erin Liberatore (PF).
First team
GK: Kayla Desjarlais (PF). Defenders: Kasey McKitrick (Spt), Lydia Beyerlein (Mos). Midfielders: Kristi Astin (CdA), Katie Douglas (Lak), Abby Jensen (Spt), Kristen Lee (CdA), Mia Tibbals (Mos). Forwards: Allison Gillis (Spt), Angie Menghini (Spt), Kayla Steigemeier (Lak).
Volleyball
Coach of year: Kent Scanlon (LC). Player of year: Lauren Stern (LC). Newcomer of year: Jenna DeLong (CdA). Co-defensive players of year: Dani Ghramm (LC), Jackie Lenz (CdA).
First team
Outside hitters: Jenna Griffitts (CdA), Kristi Tuntland (LC), Cassie Duncan (Lak), Meridith Dolny (Mos). Middle hitter: Kelsey Taylor (Mos). Setter/right side hitter: Kelsey James (Spt).
Shaved off
Post Falls High football coach Jerry Lee, who has sported a thick mustache for 32 years, shaved it off at practice Monday. At summer camp, he agreed to a bet with his players that he’d get out the razor if the Trojans qualified for the state playoffs.
“My kids have never seen me without a mustache,” Lee said of Megan, 28, and Austin, 25. “It was hilarious. Megan looked at me and said, ‘Hey, you look just like Austin.’ I told her she got it backwards. Austin looks just like me.
“My players were telling me they’ve never seen me smile. Now they can.”
Lee said he will stay clean shaven until after Thanksgiving and a trip to California to meet Austin’s future in-laws. Austin, a three-sport standout at Post Falls who went on to play football at Stanford, is engaged to marry next summer.
State meet
The state swimming championships will be held Friday and Saturday at the University of Idaho. Preliminaries will be Friday, finals on Saturday. Post Falls’ girls and Moscow’s boys are the defending state champs. PF is seeking a fourth state title in the last six years. Lake City’s boys and girls figure to challenge.