CdA wouldn’t mind taking LC’s path

Dale Poffenroth hopes history repeats itself.

No, not that history. Poffenroth and his Coeur d’Alene High girls basketball team certainly want to play for the State 5A championship come Saturday. But the Vikings don’t want to be the bridesmaid for a third straight year.

The history Poffenroth alludes to is the route Lake City took to state last year. The Timberwolves went through the back door as the Region I runner-up and then knocked off the favored Vikings in the state final.

Post Falls ended CdA’s three-year reign as regional champion last Friday, topping the Vikings 46-45. The Vikings will gladly trade a regional title trophy for the hardware that’s eluded them.

Here’s a look at the local teams in the 5A, 4A and 3A state tourneys that begin today:

5A: History could repeat itself in another way, too. Region I was likely more competitive this season than last year. If it continues at state, the championship game just might feature an all-North Idaho showdown as it did a year ago.

“Someone asked me, ‘Who is the best competition in the state?’ and I said, ‘Post Falls,’ ” Poffenroth said. “They said, ‘Are you serious?’ and I said, ‘I think so.’ Post Falls is obviously better than they were, especially early in the year. They could be the toughest team (at state).”

The road to a possible all-North Idaho final begins at the Idaho Center in Nampa. Fifth-ranked Post Falls (19-3) is up first when it takes on Highland (17-5), the District IV-V-VI runner-up, at 12:15 PST. Second-ranked CdA (20-3) meets No. 1 Centennial (22-1) at 7 in a rematch of a state opener last year and the title game two years ago.

All the 5A games and the five state title contests will be Webcast live on Idahosports.com.

CdA was zipping along until it lost to PF in a late regular-season game and in the regional final. The Vikings, who averaged about eight turnovers in the regular season, committed uncharacteristic mistakes against PF (24) and Lewiston (20) – especially in late, pressure-packed moments.

Another area of concern that emerged at regionals was foul trouble.

Junior wing Kama Griffitts expects the Vikings to return to the winning form that carried them most of the season.

“I think we’ll loosen up when we get to state,” Griffitts said.

Post Falls coach Chris Johnson wouldn’t mind if history repeats itself either. The Trojans are making their first trip to state since winning a second straight 4A state title in 2002-03.

Johnson is most pleased that his five seniors get to taste state for the first time. Three of them – Jenny McVeigh, Kandice McArthur and Heather Arnone – were letter-winners as freshmen. They had to follow in the footsteps of the Trojans’ most successful run in school history. The Trojans’ collapse a year ago – when they watched LC rally from a five-point deficit in the final 30 seconds of regulation to win in double overtime in a loser-out regional game – has been well-chronicled.

“It’s really weighed on all of us a lot,” Johnson said. “We’ve thought about it a lot. I just feel total relief that they’re (the seniors) going to get a chance to experience (state) because they deserve it.”

The Trojans may be the hottest team in the field. They’ve won 16 of their last 17 and six in a row.

4A: Lakeland is making its ninth straight trip to state and fourth consecutive since moving up to 4A.

It’s the youngest team coach Steve Seymour has taken to state. The Hawks have just one senior.

You won’t catch Seymour looking ahead to next year – although he knows what the experience could do for next season.

“I’m not looking at in terms of next year,” he said. “I’m excited about the prospects of this state trip.”

Lakeland (7-14) takes on Pocatello (12-13) at Timberline High School in Boise at 5:15.

3A: Intermountain League co-champs Kellogg (17-2) and Priest River (19-3) like their prospects. They wouldn’t mind meeting one more time – in the state title game.

Both drew difficult first-round matchups. Priest River takes on defending state champ Sugar-Salem (21-3) at 12:15 and Kellogg goes against No. 1-ranked Kimberly (21-0) at 5:15 at Middleton High School.