Greg Lee

FROM SPORTS PREP ROUNDUP Page C3 (Friday, April 19, 1996) Correction The Lake City-Coeur d'Alene baseball doubleheader Saturday will be played at LC. It was incorrectly reported in Thursday's edition to be played at CdA. Nieman

Lake City High School basketball standout Scott Hoover will stay fairly close to home for college. The 6-foot-5, left-handed Hoover, named the Inland Empire League's most valuable player this past season, has orally committed to Lewis-Clark State College. He plans to sign a letter of intent today. The Lewiston school plays in NAIA Division I, but plans to move to NCAA Division II soon.

Autumn Nesbitt hands the baton to Post Falls teammate Adam Fehling during the sprint medley of Saturday's unique coed meet. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

All-North Idaho Wrestling Team (from left): Coach Conrad Garner, Bonners Ferry; Nathan Pascoe, Lakeland; Adam Lamb, Priest River; Todd Van Gundy, Bonners Ferry; Dennis Liermann, Bonners Ferry; Kyle Watts, Bonners Ferry; Al Mack, Post Falls; Justin Pluid, Bonners Ferry. Not pictured: Jared Lawrence, Brett Lawrence, Zack Vaughan, Brandon Larson, Isaac Maurer, Trevor Walkington, all of Sandpoint; Paul Weseman, Coeur d'Alene. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

The list of high school coaching openings continues to grow in North Idaho. Priest River boys basketball coach Kelly Reed plans to resign today after two seasons. Because of a number of frustrations, Reed, one of the top young coaches around, decided his second season would be his last before the year began.

Post Falls baseball coach John Pettoello understands why Coeur d'Alene is picked to do big things this season. Many of the supporting reasons were evident in Coeur d'Alene's 3-2, 11-3 sweep over the Trojans in an Inland Empire League doubleheader Tuesday at McEuen Field. The Vikings coupled stable pitching, propitious hitting and consistent defense to follow up an earlier doubleheader split against Post Falls.

1. Prep coaches know about Casey Fisher; now college coaches have a chance. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review 2. Chatfield

Lake City's Ean Estep, right, launches a slide tackle as Darren Baune dribbles toward the Timberwolves' goal. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Hitting is an essential element to any baseball team's success. Defense, too, is important in the equation. But perhaps most important is pitching. It's noteworthy that the top players in the Inland Empire League are pitchers. When it comes to crowning a league and regional champion, pitching most likely will be the telling factor.

Inland Empire League boys and girls basketball teams may find the road to state filled with more obstacles next year. A proposal by the coaches to revamp the state-qualifying regional tournament was approved by league administrators. That's good news as far as the coaches are concerned. The hope is the team surviving a much more rigorous regional tournament will be tested for state.

1. Though her last high school game was a loss in the state playoffs, Sandpoint's Alli Nieman knew how to win. File/Associated Press 2. Umthun 3. Peterson

This is the column that some area boys basketball coaches haven't been looking forward to reading. Last month, you may recall, I started a new feature when I graded several North Idaho girls basketball coaches. I plan to do the same in football next season. Judging by the responses, it was one of the most-read columns I've written.

Back row (from left): Casey Fisher, Angie Sorbel, Adam Miller, Alli Nieman, Luke O'Dowd, girls coach Duane Ward. Front row: coach Tony Kerfoot, Scott Hoover, Lindsay Herbert, Heidi Umthun, Brett Hollenback, Tanya Allmaras, Amy Lemm. Not pictured, Jon Chatfield. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

MSU swingman Nico Harrison, formerly of Spokane, slams home two of his game-high 23 as Bobcats take command early in 91-66 rout. Photo by Associated Press

Vandals Nate Gardner and Shawn Dirden (21) apply defensive pressure against Montana's Nate Colvill. Photo by Associated Press

Lake City High School senior basketball player Scott Hoover was named the Inland Empire League's most valuable player Wednesday evening in a vote of the league's coaches. The 6-foot-5 Hoover averaged 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the regular season. He played an especially key role to the Timberwolves' drive for a league title when teammate Jon Chatfield (23 ppg) missed five games because of a stress fracture in his right foot.

Bear Lake's Evan Hoge goes over Moscow's Jeff Lathan for layup. Photo by Associated Press

Nampa Christian became the lone No. 1-ranked team in the four state high school boys basketball tournaments to capture a championship. The Trojans had to fight off an unlikely but worthy challenger Saturday afternoon in the Lakeside Knights, though, as Nampa Christian pulled away in the final minutes, 45-36, in the State A-4 championship game at Idaho State University's Holt Arena. It was the lowest offensive production for both teams in the tournament. Perhaps it was largely because neither team had played in the cavernous Holt Arena. Another reason was both teams played respectable defense. Poor shooting and good defense was particularly noticeable in the second quarter.

You'd expect the losing team in a consolation game to be disappointed it didn't take home a trophy, a token reward of sorts for its season. But the winning team disappointed? Even in victory, in the game for third place in the State A-1 boys basketball tournament Saturday morning, Blackfoot coach Dale Shelley talked about the championship contest.

Eastern Idaho boys basketball fans were down right giddy Thursday during the first round of the State A-1 high school basketball tournament. All four entrants from the Boise area - Capital and the three teams from the Meridian School District, Centennial, Meridian and Eagle - were booted into the loser's bracket at Idaho State University's Holt Arena.

Chad Beadell of Lake City whips a pass between Meridian defenders Jeff Hymas (11) and Curtis Waite (3). Photo by Doug Lindley/Special to the Spokesman-Review

Whether at Coeur d'Alene or Lake City, Jim Winger's basketball teams make a habit of making state. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

A-2 District I-II The co-Intermountain League-champion boys basketball teams played like they have the scent of a district title Wednesday night. Kellogg crushed St. Maries 90-46 while Moscow bulldozed Priest River 76-44 in A-2 District I-II Tournament action at Lake City High School.

Victory was quick and decisive for the Lake City High School boys basketball team Saturday in the A-1 Region I title game. Defeat, likewise, was painfully speedy for Post Falls, which watched the top-seeded Timberwolves blow open what was a two-point game at halftime for a telling 74-48 state-qualifying victory at Booth Hall.