Two Schools Give Students More Chances

It’s come up at least once every sports season since Lake City High School opened its doors four years ago.

Wonder what it would be like to still have just one high school in town?

Unfortunate is the first thought that comes to my mind. Sure, one super high school would likely dominate all sports in the region and challenge for state titles.

The time will come, though, when both schools will be strong enough to challenge for state titles in the same sports. It happens in Pocatello - a two-high school town - and it’s happening in Meridian - a three-high school district.

Lake City’s girls basketball team, you’ll recall, captured a state title its first year, and has challenged for two more in the past three years.

The Coeur d’Alene boys basketball team is still celebrating the school’s first championship since 1973. Funny thing is, a coach with deep roots in the area doubted that CdA or LC would ever challenge for a state title because it had been more than two decades since CdA’s last championship.

The sport that continues to grow is boys and girls soccer. Nearly 50 boys turned out at both LC and CdA for varsity and junior varsity this spring, forcing coaches to make cuts. As other area soccer programs are considering adding junior varsity teams, for example, LC and CdA hope to convince school officials that it’s time to add a freshman or C team.

Consider the math for a moment. Take an overcrowded high school of nearly 2,000 and split it in half. Turnouts for sports with limited roster spots double, forcing coaches to make cuts.

Where were these kids before? Walking the halls and not turning out because opportunities were few.

They’ll experience the same opportunities in the Lakeland School District in the fall, when the Rathdrum school is trimmed and students in the outlying communities of Athol, Bayview and Spirit Lake head to the new school, Timberlake High.

Participation districtwide will increase, but it’s going to be a while before most athletic teams are competitive at state.

But in time, Lakeland patrons will say building a second high school was good for kids. Just like they’re saying in CdA.

This ‘n that

Kellogg boys basketball coach Tony Kerfoot is not a man who admits defeat easily. But even he discovered quickly that it’s difficult to be a head coach in two sports - not to mention two major sports whose seasons are back to back.

“Football needs full-time attention and it was more than I could do with my teaching load and other coaching responsibilities,” said Kerfoot.

For the first time in as long as Kerfoot can remember, he didn’t buy a hunting license last fall.

“I was real worn out by the end of the basketball season,” said Kerfoot, who gave up the football post three weeks ago.

Kerfoot was pleased that assistant Tim Kimberling was named head football coach. Kerfoot plans to assist his friend.

And he’ll do one other thing this fall. He plans to hunt.

Speaking of coaching moves, Jim Asher, a basketball assistant the past three years for Lake City girls coach Dave Stockwell, resigned. His daughter, Ali, completed her three-year career at LC this winter.

Jim Asher isn’t leaving the sidelines at LC, though. The former head boys and girls coach at St. Maries has been recommended to the school board as varsity assistant to LC boys coach Jim Winger. Dwight Wilson, Winger’s assistant all four years at LC and two at Coeur d’Alene, resigned.

Wilson’s resignation is part of a move to scale back before retirement. He plans to teach and coach softball one more year.

The tandem of Winger (6-foot-3) and Asher (6-7) should give LC the tallest staff in the region. And the addition of Asher adds a third coach with head coaching experience.

Junior varsity coach Kelly Reed spent two years as head coach at Priest River before joining Winger two years ago. The 5-7 Reed might feel lost among the trees, but he’s a solid coach waiting for another varsity opportunity. He had the best JV record in the league last year at 18-2.

The most obvious rules change for prep basketball next year will allow coaches to call timeouts along with their players. In the past only players could call timeouts.

Also in a move to speed up games and eliminate what was perceived as a negative coaching tactic, substitutions won’t be allowed before the first free throw of a multiple-shot situation.

Weight control requirements were tightened in rules changes for wrestling.

Beginning next year, wrestlers will be required to establish a certified minimum weight before Jan. 15, and they must have at least one-half of their weigh-ins during the season at the minimum weight they will wrestle during the state tournament.