Time for a last look at winter sports happenings

What an interesting mix of state tournament results for Panhandle athletes and teams this year.

Four girls basketball teams played for state titles while just three area boys teams played for state trophies.

Most of the girls basketball teams will be back challenging for state titles next year. Our poor area boys basketball teams – poor in the sense that it seems like it’s been next to forever since a North Idaho team has challenged for a state title – will be about the same next year as they were this year. In other words, painfully average. Oh well, we can only hope that a couple of 6-foot-8 or taller transfers land somewhere in the five northern counties, right?

As we close the book on the winter, here’s a look back at some of the top feats.

Girls basketball

This is what makes covering sports so entertaining: Had you told me that four area teams would play for state titles, I would have said you were crazy. Especially if you had said two of the teams would be Moscow and Kellogg.

OK, let’s be real for a moment, as Simon Cowell of American Idol would say. Moscow and Kellogg’s sides of the 4A and 3A brackets were a smidge less competitive than the other sides of the brackets. But that’s no fault to Moscow or Kellogg.

They had to win two games to advance to the finals like eventual champs Vallivue (4A) and Shelley (3A) did. In their defense, Moscow and Kellogg gave good accounts of themselves. They pushed the heavily favored teams to the final buzzer.

Lakeland was a better team than Moscow and Intermountain League champ Bonners Ferry was a better team than state qualifiers Kellogg and Priest River. But it didn’t matter on that weekend, when for three days Moscow and Kellogg used defense to fight their way through to the state finals.

Coeur d’Alene and Wallace, meanwhile, will definitely be back to state, and should return to Saturday finals at the Idaho Center. CdA graduates one player, starting point guard Jackie Lenz. Wallace brings back practically its entire roster.

I know that the seniors to be on those teams won’t allow complacency to overtake them next year.

CdA coach Dale Poffenroth challenged his team this year, saying it should expect to advance to the state championship game. He’ll probably up the ante next year, expecting them to win the state title in 2007.

For CdA, senior-to-be guard Lindsey Stark will be the team leader. For Wallace, senior-to-be guard Cara Hayman will continue in that role she’s occupied since her freshman year, really.

Kellogg could get back, what with most of their key players being underclassmen and with coach Steve Bourgard pushing the right buttons. In fact, the IML could be as competitive as I’ve seen it next year.

Watch out for a couple of other teams, too. In 5A, Lake City is determined to chase CdA. LC returns all of its starters and key role players, and this was a team that handed CdA two losses before the young Vikings found themselves. These teams will engage in some entertaining wars next year. At least five and maybe six and – who knows? – maybe seven, if they both get to state. An all-CdA final? Not out of the realm of possibility after what I witnessed this year.

Here are my individual awards for girls: In the Inland Empire League, my most valuable player is Lakeland senior Kayla Stiegemeier. There’s no way Lakeland has a chance at qualifying for state without her. My newcomer of the year is split between LC freshman Katy Baker and CdA frosh Kama Griffitts. My coach of the year is split between Dale Poffenroth of CdA and Lisa Carscallen of Moscow.

In the IML, my most valuable player is Bonners Ferry junior Becky Lowther, who must become much more selfish next year if the Badgers hope to get to state. She must learn how to take over games and quit being unselfish to a fault. My newcomer of the year goes to Kellogg frosh Amanda Seeling. My coach of the year is a no-brainer: Bourgard.

In the NSL, the MVP is an easy choice: Hayman. My coach of the year is Kirby Krulitz of Wallace.

Boys basketball

After watching Inland Empire League champ Lewiston handle Meridian in a State 5A opener, I thought for sure the Bengals would romp into the state title game.

But Lewiston was run off the court in the semifinals by Capital. Only one other team did that to the Bengals this year – and that was Coeur d’Alene.

Lewiston senior wing Bo Gregg is my IEL MVP. CdA senior Cody Smith is my newcomer of the year, and the Vikings will sorely miss him next year. In fact, if you thought the Vikings were short this year, they will be much shorter next year without a true post. My coach of the year is Lance Hansen of Moscow. Somehow, some way, Hansen takes a group of average athletes and gets the most out of them every year. That, to me, is the true gauge of a coach’s ability.

Senior Matt Rice of Bonners Ferry is my player of the year in the Intermountain League. The guy is a workhorse. My coach of the year is Gordy Allured of BF. The newcomer of the year is Kellogg senior Joey Sauer, a kid I hadn’t heard anything about until I saw him at district.

In the North Star League, all the honors go to the Post Falls Christian Eagles. My league MVP is Eagles senior point guard Matt Rouse. My newcomer of the year is PFC senior post John Hutchins, and coach of the year is the Eagles’ Tim Mitchell.

Note to NSL teams: The only way you’re going to be state tournament-tested in years to come is by scheduling as many non-league games with the power conference in the state, the Whitepine League in nearby District II. Don’t you think some non-league games against Troy, Lapwai or Genesee would be better than non-conference matchups against St. Michael’s or Logos?

Wrestling

By and large, it was a down year overall in the Panhandle. The area lacked the quality depth that it’s had in years past.

But a tip of the hat to Bonners Ferry, which didn’t have enough bodies to make a serious run at American Falls or Weiser. But the Badgers got a ton of production out of the few they sent.

You would have to scour the nation far and wide before you come across a student/athlete in the same league as Adam Hall of BF. I base this largely on Adam Hall the person and not so much on Adam Hall the athlete.

Yes, he won three straight 3A state titles and his final 121 matches. But Adam Hall the person – the student, the citizen, the son, the friend, the teammate, the captain – is a rare commodity in this day.

Ask his coach, Conrad Garner, what he will miss most about Hall. The last thing Garner would say would be athletic related. I guarantee you that he will miss Hall because of all the other intangibles.