Prep notebook: Coeur d’Alene Charter girls soccer coach wins national award
Stacy Smith, coach of Coeur d’Alene Charter’s girls soccer team, was named the national small school girls high school coach of the year by the United Soccer Coaches Association in December.
Smith led Charter to an 18-1-1 record and the Idaho 3A State championship in 2020 – the Panthers’ fifth consecutive state, district and league titles.
She was named the Idaho 3A girls coach of the year for the fifth time. In 13 seasons as the head coach at Charter, Smith’s career record stands at 94-4-3.
All-state football
Coeur d’Alene senior quarterback Jack Prka (Carroll College), senior offensive lineman Jackson Kohal (Air Force) and junior defensive lineman Cameren Cope were named to the 5A all-state first team in voting conducted by the Idaho Statesman, announced last week.
Post Falls receiver Tommy Hauser (Idaho) was a repeat first-team selection.
CdA placed seven on the second team: senior K/P Eli Jolly, junior RB Gunner Giulio, senior WR Ethan Garitone, senior LBs Jack Dohm and Trent Elstad, senior DB Tyson Pottinger (Montana State) and junior DB Isaiah Griffin.
Lake City senior LB Dante Hardin was named second team.
4A: Moscow senior LB Jonah Elliss (Utah) was named first team. Second-team picks included Moscow senior OL Tyler Skinner, and senior OL Marcus Anderson and senior LB Tag Benefield from Sandpoint.
2A: St. Maries senior LB Eli Gibson was named to the second team.
1AD2: Three players from Mullan/St. Regis were named to the second team: senior DB Riley Trogden, junior DL Luke Trogden and junior LB Caleb Ball.
No locals were selected from 3A or 1AD1.
College signings
- Central Valley wing Chloe Williams signed with Montana State-Billings women’s basketball. CV has gone 65-8 during Williams’ three years in the program. She earned all-tournament honors last season, helping the Bears to the State 4A title.
- Cheney wide receiver/kicker Ryan Rieckmann signed with Montana Western. He was an all-league honorable mention his junior year and a two-time track and field all-leaguer in javelin.
- Lewiston defensive lineman Alec Eckert received a preferred walk-on from Washington State. Eckert was a first-team, All-Inland Empire League 5A selection this season.