Greg Lee : Program, story rekindle fond memories

I dusted off a few memories stored in the cobweb-filled reaches of my thick head (see my mug above) when I wrote a Then & Now story this week on former Coeur d’Alene High basketball standout Kyle Wombolt.

He isn’t the best all-around player I’ve watched the past 23 years, but he is the best shooter.

Earlier this year, my father was cleaning out a desk at his home in Kennewick when he came across a program from the 1987 A-1 (now 5A) Region I boys basketball tournament held at Lewiston High’s Booth Hall. It was Wombolt’s senior year.

My dad was working briefly in Lewiston at the time and attended the tournament with me. Wombolt scored 101 points in three games, making 27 out of 49 field goals (including 11 out of 22 3-pointers) and 36 out of 40 free throws. Dad was so wowed by the performance that he asked the Viking to autograph the program between the team picture and roster.

Dad didn’t want to throw the program away so he gave it to me. He had written down Wombolt’s stats.

Here are some other stats I came across and didn’t include in the story that was published Tuesday. Wombolt averaged 29 points his senior year and 16.9 as a junior. He moved to CdA before his junior year after starting his sophomore and freshman seasons at Kellogg where he averaged 26.4 and 19.6, respectively.

Along the way to 2,178 career points, Wombolt scored 40 or more (including the CdA school-record 55) eight times, 30 or more 23 times and 20 or more 64 times.

With Wombolt leading the way in ‘87, CdA (18-7) took second at state. The year before, the Vikings’ backcourt included Wombolt and Mike Winger, who would go on and play at Gonzaga.

Wombolt broke Winger’s career scoring record (1,235), a mark that still stands today.

Anyway, the program that my dad found and my catch-up interview with Wombolt rekindled the memories.

All-State football

Six North Idaho players were named to All-Idaho teams in their respective classifications in a vote of coaches statewide.

Lake City senior linebacker Byron Hout, senior defensive end Sean Jolin and senior defensive back Christian Hanna were named to the 5A first team. Timberlake senior offensive lineman Dan Bashoor and senior defensive back Josh Malloy, and Kellogg junior offensive lineman Seth Ketchum were named to the 3A first team.

The Boise State University-bound Hout, who was recently named Gatorade player of the year in Idaho, was the 5A All-Idaho player of the year last season. The Inland Empire League’s most valuable player this fall, Hout had 88 tackles, including 20 for losses.

Eleven other area players were second-team picks. They are: Post Falls senior wide receiver Levi Buckles, Lake City senior defensive lineman Matt Jerezcek and Lewiston junior defensive back Ridge Fuentes (5A); Lakeland junior place-kicker John Novak (4A); and Timberlake senior running back Nick Puckett, senior Josh Goodman, a two-way pick at tight end and defensive line, senior offensive lineman Joe Masterson, senior linebacker Skyler Brown and junior defensive lineman Ammon Johnston; Bonners Ferry senior defensive back A.J. Bennett; and Kellogg senior wide receiver Jeremiah Big Spring (3A).

The Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise coordinates the naming of the teams.

Coming up

The Coeur d’Alene and Lake City boys and girls basketball teams square off in an Inland Empire League doubleheader Friday at LC.

The action begins with the girls at 6 p.m. CdA (7-0, 3-0), ranked No. 1 in the state, topped LC (6-1, 3-1) 46-38 on Nov. 27 at CdA.

It’s the first of two league games and three games overall between the boys teams and it’s the league opener for second-ranked CdA (4-0). LC (3-1, 1-0) defeated Lakeland in a league opener last week.