Prep year overflowed with memories

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve written this statement: This will be a year I won’t soon forget.

After 26 of these things, they have a tendency to run together. That statement, though, really does summarize the kind of year North Idaho athletic teams and athletes had. From fall through spring eight state championships were nabbed by Panhandle teams.

The 2009-10 year will be one etched in the memory of those in the Post Falls and Priest River communities. Not that winning a third straight State 5A girls basketball championship and state wrestling title were chopped liver at Coeur d’Alene.

Priest River not only got its first state championship in a major team sport, but got two in two weeks when the girls and boys basketball teams had storybook seasons. I suspect that this might be a year the class of 2010 won’t soon forget at Priest River.

The girls’ championship was completely unexpected. Priest River defeated Kellogg in an all-Intermountain League final. And neither team won the league championship. They both knocked off league champ Timberlake in the district tournament.

It was an especially sweet state title run for Priest River girls coach Gary Stewart, who had two daughters, including starter Taylor, on the team. I walked back to the locker room with Gary and he couldn’t contain his emotion. It was a wonderful scene.

Then two weeks later, the Priest River boys, who were ranked No. 1 most of the season, completed their championship journey in impressive fashion. The Spartans survived the heavy weight of expectations.

The CdA girls, meanwhile, played in a fifth straight 5A title game, capturing a third consecutive championship under coach Dale Poffenroth. The Vikings defeated Lewiston in the all-Inland Empire League final. With the nucleus of the team back, it’s not out of the question that a four-peat could occur.

The other feat of note from the winter was the Coeur d’Alene wrestling team breaking through for a state championship. It couldn’t have happened to a better coach, either. Jeff Moffat, a CdA graduate, coached his alma mater to the top of the podium. It doesn’t get much better than that.

And the Vikings will be in the mix for another state title next year along with Post Falls.

The Sandpoint boys and girls soccer teams captured State 4A championships – again. It was the seventh state title this decade for the boys and the fourth for the girls under coach Adam Tajan.

Randy Thoreson, the architect of the Sandpoint boys program, retired and Tajan, a Sandpoint grad, will take over for Thoreson.

Coeur d’Alene junior Kinsey Gomez dominated State 5A cross country and track. She strolled to her second state title in three years in cross country and swept the 1,600- and 3,200-meter titles this spring.

Gomez won’t be touched next year. What will push her is trying to get her times in the 1,600 and 3,200 under 5 minutes and 10:45, respectively.

I saved the final space of this column for the feats at Post Falls.

The Trojans boys basketball team, under coach and Post Falls grad Mike McLean, captured a State 5A championship. Lewiston won the year before and Coeur d’Alene played in the state final the year before that.

So boys basketball in North Idaho has been more than competitive on a state level. The IEL isn’t likely to produce a state champion next year, but there won’t be a significant drop in intensity at least in league play that’s for sure.

The Post Falls softball team, in its first trip to the State 5A tournament, brought home a title under coach Jack Foster. It was especially satisfying for pitcher Richelle Ashburn and second baseman Bri Joseph, both seniors and four-year starters.

Last fall, Post Falls’ volleyball team had a big breakthrough, capturing a league title and qualifying for state for the first time since 1991.

Then the girls track team earned its first State 5A trophy, finishing third.

As a school, it’s Post Falls’ best year since moving up to 5A in 2006-07.

•On a personal note, it’s obvious things have changed in the way we cover things the past two years – especially this year when I became the combined Eastern Washington/North Idaho prep writer.

My boss has committed to us continuing our All-North Idaho teams and staffing as many state tournaments as we can get to.

Let me make something very clear: We’re not pulling out of covering North Idaho. We just have to change the way we’ve done things. I look forward to being back in this corner in the fall.