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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Football begins in earnest at North Idaho high schools

It’s with equal parts relief and trepidation that a handful of North Idaho high school football teams approach their early season-opening games tonight.

Relief in that preseason practices have finally concluded; trepidation in that those preseason practices haven’t prepared them for their openers.

Coeur d’Alene, the State 5A runner-up last year, will find out right away if it has the makings of another run at a state title when the Vikings travel to Flathead of Kalispel, Mont. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. (PDT).

In the other openers, at 7 p.m., Cardston, Alberta, is at Timberlake; Moscow goes to Priest River; Kamiah is at Kellogg; and St. Maries visits Wallace. Bonners Ferry treks to Libby, Mont., for a 6 p.m. game (PDT).

The balance of the area teams begin their seasons next week. In a midweek opener, Lake City visits University on Wednesday. Kickoff, originally scheduled for 7, has been changed to 8.

Preseason rankings

Coeur d’Alene was ranked No. 1 in 5A in the preseason rankings released this week.

The Vikings received three of eight first-place votes and 31 points. Highland was second with two first-places votes and 26 points, followed by defending state champ Twin Falls (22 and two first-place votes), Centennial (14) and Meridian (nine). Lake City, Borah, Capital and Idaho Falls were among schools receiving votes.

In 4A, defending state champ Bishop Kelly received seven of eight first-places votes and 39 points. State runner-up Pocatello (27) was second, followed by Sandpoint (19), Madison (14) and Century (seven). No other area teams received votes.

In 3A, defending state champ Marsh Valley received five of eight first-place votes and 37 points to be ranked No. 1. Shelley was next with 23, followed by Declo (16), McCall-Donnelly (13) and Timberlake and Middleton, which were tied for fifth with nine each.

West Side was ranked No. 1 in 2A, while Raft River was rated first in 1A Division I and Horseshoe Bend was picked first in 1A Division II. Clark Fork was third in 1A Division II.

More coaching changes

You’re going to need a program to follow some of the head coaching changes around the region this year – especially at Kellogg.

No school underwent as much change as the Silver Valley’s most western school. It started at athletic director with former wrestling head coach Troy Schueller taking over for retiring Glen Payne.

Not long after Schueller was hired did he have to turn around and hire practically an entire new coaching staff.

In football, Alan Williams, a former head coach in Mt. Vernon, Wash., takes over for Tim Kimberling. In boys basketball, Keith Finkbiener, an assistant from Ephrata, Wash., takes over for Jeremy Bergquist, who left to become A.D. at Meridian. In girls basketball, Steve Bourgaard, a longtime boys assistant coach at Kellogg, takes over for Lisa Cheney, who resigned to spend more time with a young family.

“It was a nice introduction,” Schueller quipped about the immediate hirings he had to do upon taking the job. “There wasn’t much of a summer.”

•At Sandpoint, A.D. Cheryl Klein hired a husband-wife team to take over the vacancies in volleyball and girls basketball.

Karen Alsager, a former head coach in the Boise area, takes over in volleyball, replacing Tiwi Nicks. Alsager’s husband, Jim, who resigned last year as head boys basketball coach at Boise, will be the Bulldogs’ head girls basketball coach, replacing Scott Salesky.

In girls soccer, former Sandpoint boys coach Ed Bock replaces Adam Tajan, who is taking a leave of absence to attend graduate school in Hawaii.

•At Priest River, a familiar face returns in Jamie Pancho.

Pancho returns in girls basketball, where he takes over for Marty Landry, who coached for one season after replacing Pancho.

Pancho resigned as head volleyball coach at Sandpoint and his position at Priest River to take a teaching job last year at West Valley. He also served as WV’s head girls basketball coach.

But Pancho recently accepted a special education teaching job at Newport.

Also at Priest River, boys head basketball coach Bill Ryan and head track coach Jared Hughes will share the athletic director duties. They replace Lou Musso, who retired.

Ryan will be the A.D. in the fall and spring while Hughes will step in during the winter.

•At Clark Fork, wholesale changes also occurred for the Wampus Cats.

Former Mullan football coach Brian Arthun takes over for Frank Hammersley, who retired after last year.

In volleyball, Lisa Allen replaces Katie Hess. In boys basketball, Brian Powell returns for a third stint as head coach, replacing Jamie Hand.

•At St. Maries, A.D. Todd Gilkey must replace two head coaches and fill three positions.

Chad Ripke, the head wrestling and baseball coach, resigned shortly after the school year to take a teaching position at Freeman. Gilkey must fill both jobs.