Pancho will lead West Valley girls basketball

Sandpoint volleyball and Priest River girls basketball coach Jamie Pancho has been hired to head the West Valley girls basketball program

Judging by past performance, the hiring is a coup.

In two years at Sandpoint, Pancho’s volleyball teams compiled a 71-1 record and won two Idaho State 4A championships. He also coached Priest River girls basketball for seven years, compiling a 115-51 record. His Spartans teams reached the State 3A finals twice, including this past season, and had fourth- and seventh-place finishes as well.

Pancho was hired after a special education position opened last week at the school, said activities coordinator Wayne McKnight.

“He’s everything everybody said he was,” McKnight added. “He’s really a great guy and done wonders with the Priest River basketball program.”

Pancho, 30, graduated from Newport High in 1992, was married a year later and delayed completing his education until this year, while his wife earned her nursing degree.

“My wife and I put each other through school so we could be home with our daughter,” he said.

That didn’t prevent him from beginning a successful coaching career 10 years ago. He was an assistant in football and basketball at his alma mater, coached club volleyball in Sandpoint and eventually had state-trophy programs at Priest River and Sandpoint.

“At both, the kids bought into the way I do things,” he said.

After securing his degree from Whitworth this year, he knew life would change. WV is his first teaching position.

“I like this situation,” he said. “It’s something new, something kind of fresh, and hopefully they’ll be receptive to the way I approach the game.”

His approach to coaching is based on getting athletes to enjoy his approach and believe in their abilities.

“My focus is pretty big on defense, rebounding and bringing together some team dynamics,” Pancho said. “I like an uptempo game and getting a lot of shots if we can. It’s pretty simple.”

Pancho admits that coaching in the Greater Spokane League will be a challenge, although his credentials are impeccable.

“I’m as nervous as the kids, I think,” the youthful-looking coach said. “But I’m excited at the same time.”

GSL changes become official

Proposed changes in the way Greater Spokane League sports will be conducted and divisions aligned were made official this week.

Fall: There will be no changes in cross country, soccer or volleyball, in which there are no divisions and every team meets once during the season.

Volleyball has one postseason change, with six 4A and four 3A teams advancing to district for regional tournaments that will determine state berths.

There will be no divisions per se in football, although a division format for scheduling was devised, moving Lewis and Clark into the American Division with Clarkston, Ferris, Mead, North Central, University and West Valley. Gonzaga Prep moves to the National Division with Central Valley, Cheney, East Valley, Mt. Spokane, Rogers and Shadle Park.

Priority was given to match 3A and 4A schools against one another.

Each school will play nine GSL games to determine the overall league champion and which of the 3A and 4A teams advance to postseason. Similar to last year, each may play a non-league game the weekend of Sept. 3-4.

Winter: There will be no divisions. Each school will play a single round of 13 games in January and February to determine the league champion and district 4A and 3A qualifiers.

Each school will play five non-league games against other GSL schools and may schedule two non-league games outside the league.

As with football, divisions were created for scheduling purposes, with CV, Cheney, Clarkston, G-Prep, Mead, Mt. Spokane and U-Hi in the American. EV, Ferris, LC, NC, Rogers, Shadle and WV are in the National.

The lone change in wrestling is that CV and U-Hi will switch divisions. New divisional rivals are EV-WV and G-Prep-Mt. Spokane.

Gymnastics remains the same.

Spring: There will be no changes in golf, boys soccer or tennis. The change in track is that the first divisional meet will be after spring break.

In baseball and softball there will be no divisions, other than for scheduling purposes. Overall league record will determine the top six 4A district qualifiers and top four 3A district playoff teams.

Each baseball team will continue to play 18 league counters. Softball teams will play 19 league games and can open the season with a non-counter against another GSL team, as in past years.

Eneroth fires par in qualifier

Amy Eneroth of Mead High School shot an even-par 72 Monday at Manito Golf & Country Club to win a United States Junior Golf Association’s girls sectional qualifier.

Eneroth earned a spot to national tournament, July 19-24 at Mira Vista Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas.

Also qualifying for the national were Annie Brophy (Gonzaga Prep) and Blair Ressler (Bellingham), both of whom carded 75s.