Anderson To Be Back On Field

Bill Anderson can’t sit around idle any longer.

The former Coeur d’Alene High football coach, who resigned after his second season in 1996 because of health concerns, confirmed Wednesday that he has conditionally accepted a head coaching position at a southeast Seattle area school.

Anderson, 53, interviewed for the job at Highline in Burien on March 13 and accepted an offer three days later. He has until April 27 to sign a contract.

Burien school officials gave Anderson some time before signing a contract because he has applied for a handful of other teaching/coaching jobs in the Washington and Oregon.

“I’ve put together a coaching staff,” Anderson said. “But I wanted a little time to see if some other opportunities came up.”

Highline is a 4A school, the largest classification in Washington.

Anderson resigned at CdA after he had a mild heart attack the night before the Viks’ final regular-season game in 1996. He left the hospital to coach the game, a 24-14 win over crosstown rival Lake City.

Follow-up tests showed two of three arteries were plugged. A few months after he resigned, Anderson received a release from doctors to return to coaching.

Anderson’s Viks teams were a combined 6-12.

Last summer, Anderson turned down a coaching job at Bonners Ferry.

“It’s been a long year,” Anderson said of being out of coaching. “I’ve been like a fish out of water. I’ve got to teach 10 or 11 more years and I can’t do it without coaching.”

Anderson’s record in 24 years as a head coach is 115-90-2. Highline would be his seventh head coaching position.

He learned about the opening while attending a coaching clinic in Seattle this winter.

“I heard of about 20 jobs at the clinic,” Anderson said. “If I’d quit coaching because I was ready to do something else, that’d be one thing. Because of the sickness, I didn’t quit on my terms.”

Coach returns

Falls Christian Academy has brought back a familiar face to fill its head volleyball position.

FCA grad and volleyball standout Marlo Hutchison will replace Danica Belleque, who resigned to move to Nebraska with her husband.

A four-year player at FCA, Hutchison coached FCA to its first state berth in 1994 when the Eagles finished 17-3.

FCA made its second trip to state last fall.

Hutchison played volleyball three years at Northwest College in Kirkland, Wash., while earning her teaching degree.

Late, but not forgotten

North Star League boys basketball coaches recently announced their all-league team.

Each of the five schools had one player named to the team. Four players off league champ Lakeside were honored. They were: Sam Lozeau, Ken Pluff, Buck Allen and Barrett Morris.

Joining the Knights on the team were: Randy Reinhofer of Kootenai; Steve Greenfield of Mullan; Nate Stutzke and Brent Stevens of Clark Fork; and Jared Bligh and Drew Baker of Falls Christian.

Spring has sprung

Although several area spring sports teams have a handful of games under their belts, the week after spring break is generally considered the start of the season in North Idaho.

In an interesting non-league baseball game today, Coeur d’Alene visits Lakeland at 4.

In a pair of Inland Empire League softball doubleheaders today, Sandpoint visits Lake City and Post Falls is at Coeur d’Alene. Both doubleheaders begin at 3.

A busy Saturday schedule offers some interesting matchups.

In baseball, Sandpoint will visit Post Falls in an IEL doubleheader and Intermountain League rivals Moscow and Lakeland meet in Rathdrum. The same teams meet in softball doubleheaders. Action at all sites begins at 11 a.m.

In a North Idaho League soccer match, Sandpoint visits Coeur d’Alene at 10:30.

City rivals begin showdowns in various sports next week.

In soccer, Lake City and Coeur d’Alene tangle Tuesday afternoon at CdA. The match begins at 4.

In baseball, the teams square off Thursday in a doubleheader at LC. First pitch is at 3.

In softball, the Timberwolves play host to the Vikings on Friday at 4.

Boys change seasons

In a move to align with other teams in the state, boys soccer teams will join the girls teams by playing their league season in the fall after this spring.

The change will put boys teams on a more-level playing field with Boise area and southeastern Idaho teams, which have long played in the fall when state tournaments are contested. COED RELAYS The annual Post Falls coed track and field relays will be held Saturday. Most area teams, including a handful from Eastern Washington, will compete in the invitational. The unique meet combines the times or marks of two girls and two boys to determine the winners of six field events, two hurdles races, the 1,600 and 3,200 meters and eight relays, in which the baton exchange alternates between boys and girls. The meets begins at 10 a.m.