Greg Lee

The economic crunch is beginning to hit North Idaho school districts. At a Coeur d’Alene School District board meeting Monday, 257 patrons turned out to protest a proposal to eliminate athletic directors at Coeur d’Alene and Lake City high schools and hire one A.D. to be stationed at the district office.

Idaho preps

I hope your 2009 has started better than mine. Nothing like a non-injury car accident two blocks from home – at a residential four-way intersection where snow berms blinded the drivers’ view of possible traffic – to get the adrenaline pumping. I’m thankful there were no injuries.

It’s been said so often about the Tri-State wrestling tournament that it’s become cliché. The fact of the matter is, though, the 37th annual tourney, which will be held Friday and Saturday at North Idaho College, should be tougher this year than most state tournaments in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

All-Idaho football teams

This season’s Inland Empire League 5A boys basketball should be as competitive as it’s been in years. Lewiston is heavily favored to capture the league championship and should challenge for the state title.

I’ve written this a lot in recent years. At least this decade. Sandpoint High had a golden fall. Hey, they’re going to have to build separate trophy cases for the volleyball and boys soccer teams after the first decade of the 21st century concludes.

KENNEWICK – The Mead High volleyball team’s five-year reign as State 4A champion came to an end Friday, but Lewis and Clark is poised to carry on the Greater Spokane League tradition. GSL and Eastern Regional champ Lewis and Clark advanced to the semifinals with a 25-17, 27-25, 31-29 win over Kentwood that felt like a five-game match not three at the Toyota Center.

KENNEWICK – Imagine a high school volleyball coach borrowing a motto from a major league baseball team. That’s what Shadle Park coach Brooke Cooper did with her team this year, and her Highlanders continue to prove the Seattle Mariners’ motto from a few years back – “Refuse to Lose” – works.

HARRISON, Idaho – The path to the State 1A Division II 8-man football championship game began for Kootenai’s three four-year starters – Ben Shannon, Kolten Willms and Dakota Amy – in the sixth grade when they would spend their recess playing for a mythical state title. They rededicated themselves to the dream a year ago last Monday, two days after a disappointing loss on the final play in the semifinals to Salmon River, which went on the following week to win the state title.