And the winners are ... many in this fall review

The fall sports season isn't officially over until Milk Bowl 2000 concludes late Friday night.

But in our neck of the woods, the last sports tie to autumn - the Lakeland High football team - has been indoors all week, and the Hawks will conclude their season Friday afternoon in the cozy confines of the Kibbie Dome.

With area girls basketball teams beginning their second week of play and boys basketball squads turning out this week, it's time to hand out some honors for the top teams and athletes of autumn before we go indoors for the next three months.

Here's a sign that there's not enough time between seasons, though. I've watched two girls basketball games and counted four coaches in the bleachers scouting.

Isn't it just a bit early?

Football

Cheney coach Tom Oswald hates state playoffs.

If he had his druthers there would be no playoffs. Play for a league title and trophy and call it a year.

The reason he despises the playoffs? Simple. Just one team can end the year on a winning note. A playoff loss, he contends, can overshadow what a team accomplishes in the regular season.

Oswald may have a point.

There was certainly a lot of heartache in Coeur d'Alene two weekends ago after the LC Timberwolves and CdA Vikings - plagued by turnovers and mistakes - lost playoff openers they could have won.

Suffice it to say that players and coaches from both teams have done a lot of second-guessing.

Once emotions have settled, though, CdA and LC can be proud that 2000 was the first year both were state qualifiers for the first time in the same season.

My player of the year for North Idaho's Border League teams is the easiest pick I've had in years. CdA senior running back Paul Ziegler rewrote the Vikings' record book.

Certainly Ziegler had capable blockers opening initial holes for him. But the beauty of watching him run was seeing the yards he gained after first hits. And the bulk of his yards came well after he broke one or two tackles.

Defensive players of the year go to cousins Jeff Edwards, LC's senior defensive tackle, and Ben Wolfe, CdA's senior middle linebacker.

The University of Idaho-bound Edwards also played full time at offensive tackle. Although he didn't play as much on offense as his cousin, Wolfe started a couple of games and saw situational duty at guard.

Newcomer of the year is Sandpoint junior defensive back Tony Hook.

Utility player of the year is Sandpoint senior defensive back/ wide receiver/return specialist Matt Reifsnyder.

Coach of the year could be a shared award, but nobody had more pressure to turn a program around this season than CdA's Shawn Amos. It shouldn't take another six years for the Viks to return to the playoffs.

Lakeland green would be an appropriate color for most of the Intermountain League awards.

Player of the year is senior two-way standout Casey Phelps of Lakeland. This includes MVP honors for offense and defense.

Newcomer of the year is Lakeland junior quarterback Bryan Klingaman.

Coach of the year goes to Rich Zecher of Priest River. Kudos to the Spartans' 18 seniors for qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time in school history.

Mullan collects my three North Star League honors.

Junior quarterback Derik Stanley is the player of the year; senior defensive end Jean Hegbloom is the defensive player of the year; and Brian Arthun is the coach of the year.

Volleyball

It's not a surprise that the top three teams in their respective classifications - Sandpoint, St. Maries and Clark Fork - earn my praise.

At Sandpoint, coach Jeff Hurst actually had to coach this season as the young Bulldogs captured a second straight state title. And there should be more state crowns to follow.

Senior setter/hitter Rochelle Ruen is player of the year. Freshman setter/hitter Amy Dyck is newcomer of the year.

At St. Maries, Mitch Santos retires with another coach of the year award. Lumberjacks junior outside hitter Jessica Yearout is player of the year. And junior defensive specialist Katie Smith is newcomer of the year.

At Clark Fork, the Wampus Cats placed six players on their all- league team. Best of the best was team MVP Charlotte Scofield, a senior outside hitter.

Wampus Cats coach Cindy Derr did her best coaching job in her three years as Clark Fork finished as state runner-up. It's the Wampus Cats' third straight state trophy.

Briefly . . .

But certainly not of less importance are some acknowledgments in soccer, cross country and swimming.

In soccer, Sandpoint senior defender Ryan Mahler quarterbacked a Bulldogs defense that was largely responsible for bringing home a state title.

Midfielder Kaitlin Mitchell was the top scorer on state runner-up Lake City - a team deep in talent that will contend for a state title again next year.

Sandpoint boys coach Randy Thoreson and LC's Jennifer Bengtson are coaches of the year.

In cross country, Bonners Ferry's Forest Braden fulfilled season- long expectations by winning the State A-2 individual title. He'll conquer another difficult hurdle next year by repeating.

In swimming, seven girls combined to lead Post Falls to a second straight state title.

Copyright 2000 Cowles Publishing Company
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