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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sharp Pledges Better Days For Vikings

Greg Lee Staff Writer

From best to worst in one year.

It’s not the season first-year Coeur d’Alene High School girls basketball coach Sheila Sharp dreamed of.

The former Viking standout guard took over for Dave Fealko when the architect of the CdA program took the head coaching job across town at Lake City.

Fealko’s final team, you’ll recall, went 25-0 and captured a state title.

All the returning varsity experience ended up at Lake City, and essentially Sharp had to start from scratch.

The result: 3-18.

Sharp emerged from the locker room following the Viks’ season-ending 49-28 loss to Post Falls on Tuesday poised to begin preparing for next year.

Anybody who recalls watching the feisty guard playing at CdA and at North Idaho College knows she didn’t back down to any challenge.

And she’s not going to now.

“I’m guaranteeing these girls we’re not going to feel like this again at Coeur d’Alene High School,” said Sharp, who returns all five starters and four other lettermen next year.

“As long as I’m there we’re not going to be a fifth-place team again. Period. We’re going to be back. We’re going to have open gyms, we’re going to have weightlifting. Our expectation level and our demands are going to be be much, much higher on ourselves and the players. They’re ready to take the challenge, they’re ready to step up. It’s not a good feeling ending on a bad note like that.”

Sandpoint drops to second

After leading for two weeks, defending State A-1 wrestling champion Sandpoint dropped to second in the state rankings this week.

Meridian coach Kelly Bartlett compiles the weekly poll, basing the rankings largely on results from tournaments.

Capital, state runner-up last year, replaced the Bulldogs at the top. Capital received 114 points to Sandpoint’s 81. Minico and Lewiston are tied for third at 57 and Idaho Falls is fifth at 52.

There were no changes among the individual rankings.

T-Wolves remain No. 1

There were no changes in the state girls basketball poll this week.

As many of the teams braced for postseason tournaments, Lake City received all six first-place votes and 60 points from the state’s sportswriters and broadcasters.

Following Lake City are: Centennial, Highland of Pocatello, Pocatello, Shelley, Sandpoint, Lewiston, Borah, Nampa Christian and Kimberly.

Sandpoint coach resigns

After resurrecting the Sandpoint High girls basketball program, Bulldog coach Ron Hunt announced Tuesday his resignation, effective at the end of the season.

Hunt, 56, cited health reasons for resigning.

He takes his 14-5 team into the A-1 Region I Tournament tonight when Sandpoint travels to Lewiston (16-4).

Hunt said he’s been bothered by a hip that required replacement surgery eight years ago. The grind of walking on the basketball court and coaching has caused pain to return to his hip.

His four-year record is 54-45. He coached Sandpoint to its first trip to state in 10 years last season. The Bulldogs captured the consolation title.

Hunt plans to teach one more year before taking early retirement.

Lewiston on the rebound

Hats off to Lewiston girls basketball coach Pat Zink. Kudos also to school officials for hiring Zink last year.

Zink has turned around Bengal basketball, and don’t be surprised if Lewiston is knocking on the door for an Inland Empire League championship next year.

“We’ve got a good basketball team,” Zink said. “We make mistakes, but some of that has to do with our youth. We’re building.”

By all indications, construction is ahead of schedule.

Any other year Zink would have the league’s most valuable player in junior Andrea Gomez, a 5-foot-9 smooth shooting guard. But such standouts as Alli Nieman of Sandpoint and Melissa Dodge and Jennifer Kerns of Lake City stand in her way.

Kerns has a lot of respect for Gomez.

“She’s a great player,” Kerns said. “She’s a person on the other team you have to look for (on defense).”