IEL girls basketball looks strong

Lake City upset Coeur d’Alene in the State 5A girls basketball championship game last year.

Could there be an all-North Idaho final in 2007-08? Yes, and Post Falls and Lewiston believe they’ll be in the chase for one of the two state berths this season.

This much I do see: Coeur d’Alene not only will return to the state title game for a third consecutive year, but the Vikings will finally break through under coach Dale Poffenroth. That means LC, Post Falls and Lewiston will wage quite the tug of war for the second berth.

“I think we’re the new Boise league,” said LC coach Darren Taylor, alluding to the traditionally tough and deep Southern Idaho Conference. “There will be a lot of battles between the four of us. You’re going to have to earn your way (to state).”

The season tipped off this week. Check out my blog at www.spokesmanreview.com/ blogs/sportslink to see capsule glances of all the IEL, Intermountain and North Star teams and my predicted order of finish in each conference.

State football finals

I’ve been told by more than one person how poorly I fared last week in Panhandle Picks. None of the four area teams won a semifinal game. In the one game I picked correctly – Salmon River over Kootenai – the Warriors of Harrison probably should have won. Kootenai opened an 18-6 lead only to watch Salmon River rally for a 20-18 victory.

Two weeks ago I predicted which teams would win state football titles. Three teams are still alive. They are: Meridian (5A), Fruitland (3A) and Carey (1A Division II).

Here are the matchups for the finals:

5A: Meridian (11-0), which was ranked No. 1 in the final poll, is seeking its second title in three years when the Warriors face Capital (9-2) Friday at Boise State University’s Bronco Stadium.

4A: Nampa (9-3) is a big underdog when it takes on second-ranked Blackfoot (11-0) Friday at Idaho State University’s Holt Arena.

3A: Defending champ and No. 1-ranked Fruitland (11-0) takes on second-ranked Shelley (11-0) Friday at Holt Arena.

2A: West Jefferson (9-2) meets No. 1-ranked Orofino (11-0) Friday at the Kibbie Dome.

1A Division I: Oakley (11-0) goes against Troy (10-1) Friday at Holt Arena.

1A Division II: Carey (10-1) takes on Salmon River (9-1) tonight at BSU.

Intermountain honors

Intermountain League football coaches named their all-league team.

Timberlake senior running back/linebacker Nick Puckett was named the league’s most valuable player. Timberlake senior Levi Powers was named the offensive player of the year; Timberlake senior Skylar Brown was named the defensive player of the year; and Timberlake senior Dan Bashoor was named the lineman of the year.

Kellogg coach Alan Williams, who guided the Wildcats to the state playoffs for the first time since 2001, was named coach of the year.

Named to the first-team offense were: Powers (quarterback); Puckett, Timberlake senior Josh Malloy and Kellogg junior Cole Lewis (running back); Kellogg senior Jeremiah Big Spring and Priest River senior Justin Mills (wide receiver); Timberlake senior Josh Goodman (tight end); Timberlake senior Dominick Regler (place-kicker); and Bashoor, Timberlake senior Joe Masterson, Priest River junior Ned Florea, Bonners Ferry senior Kurt Carey and Kellogg junior Seth Ketchum (linemen).

Named to the first-team defense were: Goodman, Carey, Timberlake junior Ammon Johnston and Kellogg senior Ben Cook (linemen); Brown, Puckett, Big Spring and Kellogg junior Mick Marion (linebacker); and Malloy, Priest River senior J.P. Ramsey, Kellogg junior Ty Ketchum and Bonners Ferry senior A.J. Bennett (defensive back).

Named to the second-team offense were: Bennett and Ryan Winebark of BF; Chaun Chambers and Jeremiah Jacobe of Priest River; Marion, Jon Fuller, Travis Seltenreich, Tyler Pileggi and Kyle Kenser of Kellogg; Aaron Adams of St. Maries; and Johnston and Addison Nichols of Timberlake.

Named to the second-team defense were: Masterson, Powers and Pat Lagrimanta of Timberlake; Dan Marquardt, Mike Petersen and Justin Lopez of Priest River; Fuller, Seth Ketchum and Adam Furlin of Kellogg; and Josh Cox, Josh Szalasi, Ryan Huddleston and Jake Szalasi of St. Maries.