THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: It's just a numbers game now

It’s never easy to qualify for state in any sport in the northern part of the state. 

Depth in track and field, and it’s just not your year for a wild-card bid. 

No play-in game, and a really, really good team gets left at home. 

This weekend, like it or not, three area programs sit and wait for a computer to determine just if they continue, or they’re done for the season.

AT SOME point this weekend, we will find out just what the status of Timberlake, Lakeland and Coeur d’Alene’s season will be. 

For Lakeland and Coeur d’Alene, which didn’t automatically qualify for state play-in series, they can still find a way in as the Hawks (12th in 5A) and Coeur d’Alene (eighth in 6A) are still among the top 12 teams in those classifications. 

Whether they’ll travel or end up at north qualifiers remains to be seen. 

Same goes for Timberlake, which did qualify for one of four best-of-3 series in 4A. 

Only problem is that Timberlake is eighth, and needs to be among the top four district champions to host a qualifying tournament. 

Timberlake can do that, should either Teton or Buhl win — both are ranked lower than Timberlake — or could be headed south to face another district champion. 

That being said, the Tigers have won seven straight games. 

“They’re really bought into playing as a unit,” Timberlake coach Bryce Johnson said. “There’s a sense of a standard here, and we had to get back to playing small ball.” 

Timberlake allowed seven runs in the top of the seventh in Game 2 of a best-of-3 championship series against Bonners Ferry before rallying in the bottom of the inning to win 10-9 to advance. 

“I haven’t been as proud of a team and group for how they responded,” said Johnson, whose team has since beaten 3A No. 1 Orofino since losing at Bonners Ferry on April 17. “Ever since that game in Bonners, the players have said that they created this mess, and we’re going to get you out of it. I’m extremely proud of them.” 

Post Falls will host a 6A qualifier next Friday and Saturday after winning the district title on Thursday. 

IT SEEMS a little strange, but at this point, what isn’t about those Mariners in Seattle. 

Can’t seem to buy wins at home, go 5-1 on a road trip to St. Louis and Minnesota. 

Come home, immediately celebrate the No. 51, but for a lot better reason. 

Last summer, when Ichrio Suzuki was on his path to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, the Mariners also announced they were going to retire the No. 51 later that summer. 

Only problem, the team had another pretty significant No. 51 in its franchise history in left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson. 

Long before he won the World Series with Arizona in 2001, Johnson was the guy on the mound when the Mariners clinched their first playoff appearance in franchise history. 

Johnson had 130 wins during his 10 seasons with Seattle from 1989 through 1998, striking out 2,162 batters with a 3.42 earned run average. 

His starts were appointment television, whether it was for the Mariners during the regular season or the All-Star Game, and some of his showdowns with John Kruk or Larry Walker.  

Offensively, everyone knew the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Blowers, Joey Cora, because they were names in the game by the time Seattle finally punched into the playoffs. 

But Johnson was the guy in Seattle on the mound. 

And who knows, had Johnson not been lights out on a days rest in Game 5 of the ALDS against New York, allowing one run in three innings of relief, Edgar doesn’t get the chance to double in the winning run. 

Maybe it’s not as big of a deal with the Mariners to share numbers, but just imagine if that same practice was used by the Seahawks. 

Imagine the day when the Seahawks are retiring the No. 24 for Marshawn Lynch. Does that mean that Shawn Springs wasn’t as worthy? 

The Seahawks currently have the numbers 12 (for the fans), 80 (Steve Largent), 71 (Walter Jones), 96 (Cortez Kennedy) and 45 (Kenny Easley) retired. 

You’d think eventually they’ll get around to retiring some of the key guys from the 2013 Super Bowl team. 

By then, you’d think it could be a bigger deal. 

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1206 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on ‘X’, formerly Twitter @JECdAPress.