The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
45°F
Current Conditions
Scattered clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Josh Wright

This individual is no longer an employee with The Spokesman-Review.

All Stories

Sports

Vandals’ Epps ups ante with great play

MOSCOW, Idaho – On a sunny morning in August, just after he had given his coaches and teammates of sign of things to come with 10 catches in Idaho’s first fall scrimmage, Dezmon Epps was asked about his game-altering speed. The small wide receiver from Sacramento, Calif., told reporters, matter-of-factly, how he and teammate Richard Montgomery consistently run 4.3-second 40-yard dashes. He even had run a 4.29.
Sports

Vandals receiver Epps speeds into spotlight

On a sunny morning in August, just after he had given his coaches and teammates of sign of things to come with 10 catches in Idaho’s first fall scrimmage, Dezmon Epps was asked about his game-altering speed.
Sports

Davis appears likely QB for Vandals

MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho football coach Paul Petrino hasn’t ruled out Chad Chalich and Josh McCain for Saturday’s game at Mississippi. But with both quarterbacks ailing with shoulder injuries, it seems likely senior Taylor Davis will get his first start of the year. Chalich, who has started all seven games for the 1-6 Vandals, went down in the second series against Arkansas State on Oct. 12 and didn’t return. The week prior, McCain left in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to Fresno State.
Sports

National leader Cooks heats up against WSU

PULLMAN – For the Washington State secondary, the early game plan on Saturday night was clear: Don’t let Brandin Cooks go wild. Oregon State’s superb receiver was quiet for a while, but his teammates picked up the slack in the first half – and he exploded when it mattered in a 52-24 victory over the Cougars.
Sports

Idaho Vandals look for post players to emerge in 2014

MOSCOW, Idaho – In a sea of new faces for the Idaho men’s basketball team, Paulin Mpawe is one of a handful who has caught coach Don Verlin’s eye in the first week-plus of practice. For the Vandals’ sake, Mpawe – and a few other first-year post players – will need to emerge.
Sports

Fresno State blasts Idaho in record loss

MOSCOW, Idaho – Late on Saturday afternoon, with just a few hundred fans left in the Kibbie Dome, Idaho quarterback Chad Chalich dropped back to pass and was blasted by Fresno State defensive back Dillon Root. The game clock showed one second left. But that didn’t matter to Paul Petrino, who called a timeout.
Sports

Rehkow handles all kicking duties for Vandals

MOSCOW, Idaho – Austin Rehkow has three jobs for the Idaho football team. He kicks field goals, he punts and he handles kickoffs. The fact he does all of this – a few months after graduating high school, no less – isn’t a big deal to Rehkow. Heck, he was a kicker, punter, wide receiver and defensive back at Central Valley High School.
Sports

Vandals end skid

MOSCOW, Idaho – In a moment of pure joy, Idaho coach Paul Petrino sought out his wife and youngest daughter near midfield. Members of his staff gave each other – and their smiling families – warm hugs. And his players? After a 26-24 win over Temple on Saturday that wasn’t decided until the final play, most of the Vandals danced around the Kibbie Dome while trying to remember how they were supposed to react to a victory.
Sports

Tragedy decade ago still looms for Idaho offensive coordinator

MOSCOW, Idaho – Ten years later, Kris Cinkovich remembers his hard-working senior safety colliding with an opposing player in a state playoff game. He remembers him getting up and looking fine. He remembers him trotting off the field. Then he remem- bers seeing Edward Gomez slumped over, unconscious, on the sideline.
Sports

Vandals take huge step back in defeat

PULLMAN – Their quarterback rotation backfired. Their injury-ravaged defense provided little resistance to Washington State’s passing attack. And their special teams looked wobbly – again. For as sharp as the Idaho Vandals were in the first half last week in a near-upset of Northern Illinois, they looked bewildered and outmatched in the opening 30 minutes in 42-0 loss to the Cougars.
Sports

Pullman hangs on to defeat Moscow

MOSCOW, Idaho – His team had just escaped with a win over its border rival after nearly blowing a 22-point lead, and Pullman football coach Dan Lucier was asked if the game gave him “a little bit” of a heart attack. “No,” Lucier said. “Way more than a little bit of a heart attack. “
Sports

Akey happy now just being dad

MOSCOW, Idaho – He was a gregarious personality on the Washington State and Idaho sidelines, leaping, hugging and chest-bumping with his players for 14 seasons on the Palouse. But now, looking across the field at high school kids, Robb Akey keeps to himself. He doesn’t want to be a distraction at Moscow High football practice, so he sits where he won’t be in the way and doesn’t speak to coaches unless they approach him.
Sports

Former UI coach Robb Akey happy now just being dad

He was a gregarious personality on the Washington State and Idaho sidelines, leaping, hugging and chest-bumping with his players for 14 seasons on the Palouse. But now, looking across the field at high school kids, Robb Akey keeps to himself.
Sports

Late fumble haunts Vandals in loss to Northern Illinois

MOSCOW, Idaho – Early in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon, what seemed improbable started to unfold in front of some 10,000 astonished Idaho fans at the Kibbie Dome. The Vandals had forged a tie with a team that was favored by 29 points. Then they coaxed a quick punt from Northern Illinois and found themselves with the ball and a chance to grab the lead.
Sports

Vandals square off against familiar faces

MOSCOW, Idaho – On Saturday afternoon in Laramie, Wyo., Paul Petrino will go for his first win as Idaho football coach. And on the other sideline, Chris Tormey and Jason Gesser will be part of a staff that will try to outwit him – after both were bypassed for the job that Petrino wound up getting. Three of the five finalists for the Vandals head job will be at War Memorial Stadium for a nonconference matchup between Wyoming and Idaho (1 p.m., Root).
Sports

Petrino will give foes lot to think about

MOSCOW, Idaho – When Idaho runs the first play from scrimmage of the Paul Petrino era this evening at North Texas, it could line up in an option-based offense that has its roots at Carroll College with Petrino’s father, Bob Sr. Or the Vandals might use a one running back spread offense popularized by Dennis Erickson. Then again, maybe they’ll start with a two-back power formation – something Petrino’s brother, Bobby, adopted while coaching under Tom Coughlin in the NFL and Bruce Snyder at Arizona State.
Sports

Paul Petrino brings passion, discipline to Idaho football program

MOSCOW, Idaho – Both feet on the ground. Shoulders back against your chair. Eyes locked on the speaker at the front of room. It sounds like an order a Marines drill instructor might give on the first day of boot camp. But for Idaho football coach Paul Petrino, this is a rule he demands that his players abide by in every meeting – whether they’re learning from their position coach or in a classroom listening to a history lecture.
Sports

Petrino likes view at mock contest

MOSCOW, Idaho – Paul Petrino stood in the same spot Friday for Idaho’s preseason Media Day event that he did on Dec. 3 when he was introduced as Vandals football coach. This time, though, Petrino could look behind himself in the expansive Kibbie Dome and see a gleaming new video board that dwarfs the old screen.
Sports

Petrino won’t say it, but it’s now obvious Chalich will start

Idaho football coach Paul Petrino won’t announce who will start at quarterback for the Vandals in their season opener at North Texas. But he said after practice Thursday morning that he and the team know who will start, and so does “anyone who’s around” practice every day. “I know who the starter is,” Petrino told The Spokesman-Review. “I’m just not announcing it.”
Sports

Chalich makes claim as Vandals’ starter

MOSCOW, Idaho – Chad Chalich has sidestepped most questions the last two weeks about how he’s performed as Idaho’s de facto No. 1 quarterback. But since the first practice of fall camp, he’s told reporters variations of the same thing: “We’re going to score a lot of touchdowns and win a lot of games this season.”
Sports

Vandals’ Bradley gets Petrino’s message

MOSCOW, Idaho – Paul Petrino looked over his right shoulder and noticed that one of the stars of Idaho’s first fall scrimmage was listening. Right then, the first-year Vandals coach started speaking with more purpose to the reporters circled around him. He appeared to have a message for Quinton Bradley, even if the redshirst sophomore defensive end wasn’t technically part of the conversation.