I had to laugh a little bit - OK, a lot - as I read the weather reports last week from those down south who were covering the state track meets and baseball tournaments down in the Boise area.

Rain. Wind. Rain and wind. Cold.

Back here at home, I looked out my window and mostly sunny skies and mostly pleasant days, and thought of why we were told state events had to be held down south.

"Can't have state in the North," is the familiar cry from the south. "Too much bad weather."

Uh huh.

OBVIOUSLY THERE are other reasons some of the state tournaments can't be held up here, like lack of facilities and motel rooms.

But state softball is a welcome sight up here every other year (the tourneys are held either in the south or the east on the alternate years). And while the North is not immune to bad weather (a 3A tourney or two had to be cut short by rain a few years back), this year's state 5A tourney at Post Falls High, and 4A and 3A tourneys at Ramsey Park in Coeur d'Alene, pretty much went off without a hitch.

Sure, Saturday afternoon's cloudburst during the 5A title game at Post Falls invoked memories of four years ago, where a similar rainstorm caused organizers to pack up and finish the title game at Lake City High.

And, two years ago, Larry Schwenke Field at Coeur d'Alene High was ready to go when the 4A tourney ran into similar rain woes at Post Falls.

HOW NICE for the stars to align for longtime Coeur d'Alene High softball coach Larry Bieber's coaching career to come to an end in his own back yard, at the aforementioned state 5A tourney at Post Falls.

Finishing up in front of the local faithful had to feel much better for Bieber than, say, in front of a handful of people some 500 miles away in Chubbuck.

Nothing against the good people of Chubbuck, but Bieber and the Vikings deserved better. And while the Vikings were unable to give their lovable coach the ultimate storybook finish - Coeur d'Alene finished second to Eagle - it was still a nice run for the Vikings and 'Bieb,' as he is called.

The ultimate finale for all North Idaho fans would have been a Lake City-Coeur d'Alene title game. But each team lost once on Friday, and wound up squaring off against each other Saturday morning, with the loser finishing fourth.

That's the luck - or not so luck - of the bracket. The city rivals have faced each other a few times before at state - including that 2012 title game at Chubbuck, won by Coeur d'Alene in an upset. It was the Vikings' last state title; Lake City came back to win the following year.

That's another reason state softball is so popular up here - the large-school teams are so good, most years either one or both 5A qualifiers from the North are in the hunt for a title.

Which makes for a sunny outlook every other year when the state softball tourneys return to the North - even better is the weather cooperates.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.