THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: Didn't we just get this prep season started?

Did it seem like the prep sports season just flew right by?

It seems like just a few days ago, I was roaming the sidelines as Rigby and Coeur d’Alene kicked off the football season at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.

BEFORE WE know it, it will be all over.

Maybe a few state championships will be won in the coming weeks, and there’s definitely going to be somebody upset that they didn’t quite get to the state tournament.

Unfortunately for us, all of this year’s state high school tournaments are somewhere else.

Some years, it has been a bit of a blessing with the weather here. The week of state tournaments is often sketchy at best, with rain often accompanying the state softball tournaments here, as well as the state tennis tournament in the Boise area.

When area baseball teams traveled south right before spring break, the results weren’t great, but then again, neither was the weather then.

Blame good competition, which is why schools make those trips. Or just finding their way as a team, but the northern 5A teams went 2-10 in those games.

Lake City has since won 15 of 16 in Inland Empire League play, with only a doubleheader at Coeur d’Alene remaining in the regular season.

A little later today, Coeur d’Alene hosts Lewiston in league play. With a Viking sweep, and another against the Timberwolves, and they could finish tied for the regular season title with Lake City.

Coeur d’Alene had a rare bye week, of sorts, heading into today’s games.

“It’s kind of nice,” Coeur d’Alene coach Erik Karns said. “To be able to come back and work on some things in practice will be nice. We can focus on ourselves for a few days and then get back into it.”

Post Falls and Lewiston will play for the third seed next Tuesday in Post Falls.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

VERY RARELY do some all-star events live up to the expectations.

Watching some at the professional level, it’s a wonder they didn’t make the NFL Pro Bowl a flag football game years ago.

Nobody tackles, or really tries until the final two minutes of the game.

It’s kind of sad to watch to be honest.

The NBA All-Star Game has improved with the Elam Ending, and teams playing to a target final score has made for some interesting finishes in recent years.

But, if you consider yourself a fan of track and field, there’s nothing better than the District 1 All-Star Meet next Thursday at Post Falls High.

Very rarely will you find the best of the best in the same meet outside of traveling to the Boise area for the state tournament.

Even there, you won’t see just how a thrower at the 5A level compares to the best from the 3A classification.

Something a little different this year, organizers will be scoring the meet live, with instant results on the field right after.

Kind of gives you the feel of being at the state tournament, without having to leave the house for longer than a few days.

And who knows, as the weather warms up, it could be the start of a special run to the finish line for any one of those athletes.

Although, it still feels like we’re just getting started.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.