‘They’ve got a lot of heart’

A few Eagles in the area have their sights set on tearing into some pigskin. The Kootenai County Eagles, a new semipro football team, soon will be competing against eight other teams from Washington, Idaho and Eastern Montana. The team’s first game is set for April 9.

“I think Coeur d’Alene’s ready for some more entertainment and we’re going to put on a good game for them,” said Tim Winters, deputy commissioner of the Inland Northwest Football League and head coach for the team.

Winters has been coaching kids most of his life, including football, soccer, wrestling, softball and T-ball teams. When he decided to coach something different, he started talking with other league commissioners, rounding up players and securing sponsors.

The team has been practicing each Sunday for about four months at Person Field in Coeur d’Alene. Winters is confident in the team’s defense and said the squad is fine-tuning its offense.

He said players come from a variety of backgrounds, including law enforcement, construction and loan officers. For some, it’s a second chance to make it to the pros. He said NFL scouts have been out to watch previous games in the league.

“I’d love to have someone from our area go to the NFL,” he said. “That’d be awesome.”

But in the meantime, he’s glad to put a few heroes before the eyes of kids in the area.

“They’re football players. They’re husbands. They’re dads,” Winters said. “They’ve got a lot of heart.”

As the team gets stronger and the league gains momentum, he hopes to add kids’ programs and include kids in every part of the game.

Hank Cooper, 40, said a part of the team’s motivation is giving an alternative to kids in the Kootenai County by getting them out to the games or spurring interest in high school teams. A long-term goal for the team is to build junior tackle leagues and work with high school students and booster clubs during games.

When Cooper isn’t practicing as linebacker and offering up plays as one of the team captains, he’s an amateur powerlifter. He joined the team to keep in shape and use his strength. He said the thought of a second chance at youth is in the back of some players’ minds.

Some team members wonder if they can still play, viewing the upcoming season as a way to prove themselves. Cooper jokes that it’s another way of solving a midlife crisis.

“Instead of going out and buying a Corvette, I’m playing football,” he said.

But he’s proud to be playing, keeping in mind his 2-year-old son is watching.

The team has a steady base of 40 players, ages 18 to 44. Matt Hubiak, 23, is one of the younger players on the team. Hubiak graduated from Lake City High School in 2000 and played for the school team. He now makes the trip to Coeur d’Alene every weekend from Lewiston, where he works and attends school at Lewis-Clark State College.

“It’s a busy schedule, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

He plays safety on the team and doubles as one of the team captains. Hubiak said his commitment to the team isn’t extraordinary, and other members are putting in just as much effort, sometimes more. Players aren’t driven by money or popularity. Many of his teammates are keeping up with practices in addition to working full time and taking care of families.

“People are making the commitment and changing their lives for it,” he said.

The team’s quarterback, Travis Smith, agreed to make the change at the beginning of the season.

Smith, 30, played football through high school and some in college. Between his three kids and running an electrical contracting business, he has little spare time. But he’s always been involved in sports, never misses “Monday Night Football” and believes the team has been a healthy atmosphere from the start.

“Team unity is really important,” he said. “That’s what’s driving me the most.” “Win or lose, I know we’re going to have a good time,” he said.