High School Wrestler Faces Assault Charges

Colville High School wrestler Chad Hildebrandt is scheduled to be charged today with fourth-degree assault for allegedly butting a referee into unconsciousness.

Stevens County Prosecutor Jerry Wetle said he delayed filing charges while waiting for medical reports that might have justified a more serious charge against the 17-year-old.

Hildebrandt is accused of using his head to knock out Spokane referee Bob West after West penalized the Colville team because Hildebrandt shoved another wrestler. Hildebrandt shoved West Valley junior Josh Kelp after Kelp pinned him in a 190-pound Frontier League match at Colville on Jan. 18. Hildebrandt had already been penalized for intentionally butting Kelp.

This is the second time Hildebrandt has faced assault charges in Stevens County Juvenile Court. He was convicted last year of fourth-degree assault in a July 14 attack on Colville resident Doug Harder.

A judge sentenced Hildebrandt to six months of probation, community service and counseling. He was ordered to pay Harder $187 as restitution.

Indians, Chiefs radio changes

The Spokane Indians baseball club announced the addition of radio broadcasts in north Idaho and a switch on the dial in Spokane.

Radio station KVNI-AM 1080 in Coeur d’Alene will broadcast all Indians games when the Northwest League season begins in mid-June.

In Spokane, the Indians will switch from KGA-AM 1510 to KJRB-AM 790. Both stations are owned by Citadel Broadcasting.

In a related announcement, KVNI will broadcast more than 40 Spokane Chiefs hockey games next season.

The Chiefs also signed a two-year agreement to keep KGA as their flagship station.

Huge soccer tournament

What is billed as the third-largest youth soccer tournament in the nation begins at Spokane Falls Community College on Saturday.

The two-weekend tournament has grown from 36 teams in 1985 to 315 this year, according to Community Colleges of Spokane soccer coach Cor van der Meer. Teams come from throughout the northwest.

This weekend’s tourney is for select boys and girls teams from U-12 to U-19. Next week’s games will match adult and youth recreation teams.

Matches will start every half hour, and only five players will be on the field at one time for each team in the fast-paced tournament. During the four days, teams will play more than 700 matches on 12 fields. Competition runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 8-4:30 the other days.

, DataTimes