Post Falls Looks Back For Coach

Post Falls High School reached back in history to hire a boys basketball coach.

Wade Quesnell, who served as head coach for one season six years ago, returns. His hiring was approved at a school board meeting Monday night.

Quesnell, who also is the head track coach and an assistant varsity football coach, was one of three finalists. He will continue coaching the other two sports for at least a year before possibly cutting back.

“He was the best of the three candidates,” Post Falls principal John Billetz said.

Quesnell replaces Scott Moore, who led Post Falls to a fourth-place finish at state last year. Moore, who was hired after Quesnell initially resigned to return to his native Southern Idaho, was allowed to coach a final year last season before resigning under an agreement between administrators.

“Looking back, I made a mistake and probably resigned in haste the first time,” Quesnell said. “But my wife and I were both from Southern Idaho and we thought it would be a better move financially for us. Then we got down there and realized what was best for our careers was to be in Post Falls.”

Quesnell inherits a team that will return one starter. And he’s no stranger to Quesnell - it’s his son, Chad, the team’s point guard.

Quesnell coached the seniors-to-be when they were freshmen.

“In my 14 or 15 years of coaching I don’t know of a time I’ve been more excited about coaching,” Quesnell said. “We’ll be rebuilding a little bit, but the program has been very, very successful. The difference I think this time is I’m not totally new to the league or the coaches. I’m much more comfortable coming in this time. It’s going to take some work to maintain things.”

UI aide leaves, too

University of Idaho assistant volleyball coach Debbie Martin will join former UI coach Tom Hilbert’s staff at Colorado State.

Hilbert was hired at CSU last month. Martin, a St. Maries native, was on Hilbert’s UI staff for one season.

“She has an unbelievable amount of confidence for her age. I’m fortunate that I’m the person who gave her her first break,” Hilbert said. “She’s being loyal to me.”

Martin, 24, made $23,500 at UI. She will make $28,000 at CSU.

“She recognized that she’s probably not ready to be a head coach so she’s going to work for a few more years and hopefully she’ll get her chance,” Hilbert said. “It’s something she wants to do badly.”

Kamloops names coach

Marc Habscheid, a former player for the Kamloops Blazers, is the new coach of the Western Hockey League team.

Habscheid, who played for the Blazers in the early 1980s, is moving from the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Last month, the Blazers fired Ed Dempsey as head coach after he compiled a two-year record of 76-59-9. He had worked as an assistant coach with the Blazers for eight years before replacing Don Hay as head coach.

Reeves, Urdahl play on

Grant Reeves of Mead and Tucker Urdahl of Cheney have been selected to play in the Washington vs. Oregon high school all-star baseball series this weekend in Vancouver.

In last weekend’s all-state game in East Wenatchee, Urdahl played first base, left field and pitched. He had three hits. Reeves played first and was designated hitter, going 3 for 5, including a 420-foot homer and double.

Prairie Legion loses

Brian Holt had two home runs and drove in five runs, but it wasn’t enough as the Prairie American Legion baseball team of Post Falls dropped a 9-7 decision in Trail, British Columbia, on Monday.

Holt’s second homer in the top of the fourth had given Prairie (5-7) a 6-4 lead, but the visitor’s defense collapsed the rest of the way and Trail took advantage.

Mark Profili had three hits, including a home run, for Trail.

A tough challenge

Spokane Country Club, set up with U.S. Open-type conditions for a weekend club tournament, proved a challenge for members of the Athletic Round Table Pro-Am Series on Monday.

And the scores reflected the difficult conditions, with only four pros bettering par and four others matching it.

Professional Dan Porter of Downriver carved out a two-stroke victory with a 3-under-par 69 (36-33).

, DataTimes MEMO: Changed in the Spokane edition.