Girls Earn Stars In North Idaho Lake City Seniors Headline All-North Idaho Basketball Team

The brightest basketball stars in North Idaho are girls.

Lake City senior point guard Jennifer Kerns, voted this week as the A-1 player of the year, and Bonners Ferry senior wing Jana Nearing, tabbed as the A-2 player of the year, join Lake City senior post Melissa Dodge and Sandpoint junior Alli Nieman, both first team all-state selections, and Lewiston junior guard Andrea Gomez on the All-North Idaho first team.

No A-1 or A-2 area boys’ teams won state championships, but an argument could be made that the region boasts its share of top players.

The talent pool was deep enough to field two equally talented first teams. Lake City senior post Brian Russell was easily the top vote getter. Joining Russell on the team are Kellogg senior point guard Travis Fulton and junior post Casey Fisher, Post Falls senior guard Tim Roberts, Priest River senior wing-guard Kyle York and Bonners Ferry senior wing Gavin Glindeman.

The coaches select the teams.

Post Falls boys coach Scott Moore and Lake City girls coach Dave Fealko were named All-North Idaho coaches of the year.

Moore’s Trojans had several memorable moments in a 21-6 season. Post Falls beat West Valley, one of the area’s most talented teams, early in the season and put a finishing touch on the regular season with a win at Lewiston that clinched the Inland Empire League title.

After losing to Lake City in the Region I championship game, Post Falls fought back to survive two loser-out games and earn a berth to state.

As it would turn out, this would be Fealko’s final season after 17 years as a head coach (16 previously at Coeur d’Alene High).

And what a way to go out. After ending his career at Coeur d’Alene with a perfect season (25-0 and state title), Fealko moved over to Lake City where he coached three starters and two key reserves off his final Viking team.

In winning the school’s first state title, Lake City finished 24-1 in a season that saw Fealko coach his 300th career win (307-116 overall record) and collect his fifth state championship, fourth in the last five years.

Fealko went out with Kerns and Dodge, who capped impressive careers, too. Dodge, a four-year starter for Fealko, and Kerns, a three-starter and four-year letterman, finished with a 91-10 record.

Dodge and Kerns both finished with more than 1,000 career [points. Dodge led Lake City in scoring, averaging 15.6 points] and 9.5 rebounds. Kerns averaged 14.3 points, 5.1 assists and four steals.

Dodge signed early to attend the University of Vermont. Kerns remains uncommitted though she’s being recruited by Portland, Washington State and Idaho among several schools.

Though her team didn’t make a return trip to state after winning the consolation title last year, Nieman had another stellar season.

Nieman led the IEL with 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. She shot 49.5 percent from the field (195 of 394).

Nearing, who has orally committed to play at North Idaho College, played marvelously at state in leading the Badgers to a second straight runner-up finish. She averaged 17.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.4 steals per game.

Gomez and her Bengals came close to qualifying for state. Lewiston defeated Sandpoint in all four games between the schools this season, but lost to Nampa in a statequalifying game. She led the Bengals with 12.9 ppg.

The player who fought through the most adversity had to be Lake City’s Russell.

Russell had to hire an attorney and fight for his eligibility after transferring from Coeur d’Alene to Lake City. He broke two bones in his left hand late in the season.

But Russell probably played his best ball with the broken hand. The IEL most valuable player averaged 18.6 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Roberts, an all-league wide receiver and defensive back on the A-1 Division II semifinalist football team, brought the same intensity and desire to the basketball court for the Trojans.

His leadership is one specific reason why he led the Trojans with 12.6 points and five assists.

York was everything on a Priest River team that overachieved. He averaged 23.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 3.3 steals per game.

Glindeman transferred from East Valley (Spokane Valley) back to where he played during junior high made an immediate impact at Bonners Ferry. He led the Badgers with 18.1 ppg and 6.3 rpg.

Fulton and Fisher led Kellogg to a share of the Intermountain League title with Bonners Ferry, a district championship and the A-2 consolation title. Fulton averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists while Fisher averaged 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Russell, Glindeman and York are being recruited for basketball while Roberts and Glindeman are considering interest in football. Fulton plans to play golf at Idaho State University.

Boys second team: Mike McLean (Post Falls); Kris Gravelle (Bonners Ferry); Josh Erk (Falls Christian); Ryan Baerlocher (Lewiston); Brian Trenholm (Sandpoint); Jeremy Lizotte (Clark Fork).

Girls second team: Ann Shepard (Post Falls); Heidi Umthun (Post Falls); Teresa Viebrock (Lakeland); Amy Regehr (Bonners Ferry); Angie Sorbel (Moscow).

ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: In the paragraph beginning with the words “Dodge and Kerns”, text was omitted from the published story. That text has been inserted in [ ]’s between the words “career” and “and 9.5 rebounds.” This is a sidebar that appeared with the story: Cream of the crop The Spokesman-Review’s All-North Idaho basketball teams

Boys Brian Russell 6-3 Sr. Post Lake City Casey Fisher 6-6 Jr. Post Kellogg Travis Fulton 6-2 Sr. Guard Kellogg Tim Roberts 5-11 Sr. Guard Post Falls Gavin Glindeman 6-3 Sr. Wing Bonners Ferry Kyle York 6-1 Sr. Wing Priest River Coach of the year: Scott Moore, Post Falls

Girls Jennifer Kerns 5-7 Sr. Guard Lake City Melissa Dodge 6-0 Sr. Post Lake City Alli Nieman 6-1 Jr. Post Sandpoint Andrea Gomez 5-10 Jr. Guard Lewiston Jana Nearing 5-9 Sr. Wing Bonners Ferry Coach of the year: Dave Fealko, Lake City