Weber State tabs Belford as defensive line coach

Jason Belford, a former Eastern Washington football captain and Washington State graduate assistant, has been named defensive line coach at Weber State, the Wildcats’ new head coach, John L. Smith, announced.

Belford, who was born in American Samoa but grew up in Tacoma, where he graduated from Lincoln High School, started 36 of 38 games during his career at EWU, finishing No. 11 in career sacks with 17.

Following his senior season in 2008, Belford was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection after earning honorable mention as a junior in 2007 when he started all 13 games for the Eagles at defensive end.

Belford spent the last two seasons at Washington State as a graduate assistant. This past season his duties included running the scout team, film breakdown and practice sessions. 

Smith, the former Idaho head coach, also named Justin Rascati, who played quarterback for him at Louisville before transferring, the Wildcats’ quarterbacks coach.

College scene

Five Idaho women’s soccer players have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-West Region Team.

Forward Chelsea Small was named to the first team with a 3.96 grade-point average in secondary education. Midfielder Jill Flockhart, who has a 3.78 GPA in international studies, was selected to the second team. Midfielders Amber Pimley (3.69, food and nutrition) and Megan Lopez (3.64, biology), and defender Lauren Layton from Mead (3.81, international studies) earned honorable mention. All are juniors.

Additionally, the Vandals posted a team GPA of 3.46 in 2010-11, the highest in the WAC, and earned an NSCAA Team Academic Award.

• Recognition of the team’s 16 seniors, including Walter Payton Award winner Bo Levi Mitchell, will be a highlight of the annual Eastern Washington football awards banquet Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. in the Pence Union Building Multipurpose Room on the EWU campus in Cheney.

Cost is $25 per person. The event includes dinner and video highlights from the 2011 season. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling (509) 359-2463. Deadline for reserving tickets is Jan. 27. Officials noted no walk-ups will be admitted the night of the banquet.

Soccer

Six Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club players – five girls and one boy – are in Phoenix this weekend participating in the Region IV Olympic Development Program Championships.

Brett Helmbrecht (boys, 1998), Rachel Ryan (girls, 1995), Danielle Crawford (girls, 1996), Kennady Simon (girls, 1996), Kelcie Hedge (girls, 1997) and Maegan O’Neill (girls, 1997) joined players from throughout Washington on teams that are competing against other Region IV teams of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association from a 12-state area.

They are among 22 Shadow players recently named to the Washington Youth Soccer Association Elite Development Program.