What a wind-up!

Jenna DeLong has started in every softball and basketball game in her decorated four years at Coeur d’Alene High School.

She has played in two state finals in basketball and three in softball. Just once has one of her teams won a state championship, and the title came last spring in softball.

“Where did the time go?” DeLong asked herself last week. “It seems like just yesterday that I was a freshman. I’ve loved every minute of it. There have been hard times, but I wouldn’t change or trade it for anything in the world.”

DeLong would like to win a second straight title in softball before she heads off to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, to continue her pitching career. But for Coeur d’Alene to advance to the state final for a fourth straight year with DeLong on the mound, let alone capture another state title banner, this season might provide the stiffest challenge for a couple of specific reasons.

First, the Vikings return just two other starters in seniors Lindsey Stark and Kylie Chandler. Second, perhaps the biggest obstacle CdA must overcome sits three miles to the west. Lake City, the team the Vikings beat 3-0 in last year’s all-North Idaho state final, is poised to overcome its rival and capture its first state title since 2001.

“Even though we’ve got the mystique of always being there, Lake City is going to be the team to beat,” said CdA coach Larry Bieber, who is in his 13th season.

LC returns seven starters. Third-year coach Laura Tolzmann, an LC graduate and former softball standout, believes her team’s strong showing at state a year ago – when the Timberwolves had to rally for three victories – has her team believing a state title is within reach.

“We have determination to get to state and get a state title,” Tolzmann said. “We came close to getting a state title last year. We had a great run. They know what it takes to get back there.”

To that end, though, it won’t be an easy chore. Standing in the way is a DeLong-led team.

The Vikings, who have played in eight of the last nine state title games, finished runners-up for four straight years before capturing their third state championship since the state activities association started governing the state tournaments in 1997.

“Last year was a breakthrough in a lot of ways for us,” Bieber said. “We finally got over the hump and won a state title.”

The Vikings will try to blend five seniors and five sophomores around three juniors.

“We’ve got a long way to go to get there,” Bieber said when asked if a repeat is possible.

Bieber has always put a premium on senior leadership. This year’s team is no different. While he credits all of his seniors for providing leadership, one stands out above the rest – DeLong.

“You can’t put a price tag on her leadership. Like the commercial, it’s priceless,” Bieber said. “She has really taken this team under her wing. She talks to the younger players and says, ‘This is the way we do it here.’ Or, ‘This is the way we go through (pregame) infield/outfield.’ It’s like having another coach on the field.”

In fastpitch, many times a dominant pitcher, like DeLong, can help a young team mature. That’s what Bieber is counting on.

So the question was posed to DeLong: Can the Vikings repeat?

“Yes, but it’s going to take an immense amount of work,” she said. “As of right now we’re a better hitting team than we were last year. Where it has to come is our defense. We have many new faces everywhere. It’s going to take us a while to get used to each other.”

In the meantime, DeLong will be counted on to carry much of the load. Her career statistics certainly show that she’s shouldered much of the load the last three years. Counting a 5-0 start this season, she has a 43-9 career record.

DeLong was overpowering Monday, throwing a five-inning no-hitter in CdA’s 10-0 win over Sandpoint. She recorded 12 of the 15 outs on strikeouts.

“She’s amazing,” Sandpoint coach Derek Dickinson said. “We weren’t just standing there, we were swinging. But she overpowered us. She had her change and her rise ball working. She was unhittable.”

LC has had success against the Vikings the last two years, splitting four regular-season games. The T-Wolves know that to achieve their goals, they’ll have to go through their rival.

“In fastpitch, if you have a dominant pitcher you can still do well,” Tolzmann said. “Coeur d’Alene will still be strong with Jenna. She’s a great athlete and an all-around great kid. But we have confidence that we can hit her. It’s not like we feel like they’re a wall and we can’t get past them.”

LC’s batting order appears strong, top to bottom.

“I don’t think there’s a weakness in our lineup,” Tolzmann said. “When you look at what we did at state last year, different players stepped up and got game-winning hits. We know any girl who steps in the box can get a hit. We feel like we’re more of a team than last year. This is a real self-motivated group.”