Prep notebook: Randy Cornwell retires from Colville football
After 42 years in education and coaching football, the last 27 years in Colville, Randy Cornwell announced his decision to retire at the end of the school year to his players, coaching staff and school administration on Thursday morning.
“Colville football has been very rewarding and has been a joy in my life,” Cornwell said.
He finishes with a career record of 149-92, with 17 playoff appearances in the last 19 years and the 2018 State 1A championship.
As a player, Cornwell played quarterback, led Central Valley to an undefeated season in 1973 and played at Western Montana. He coached football and basketball in Ennis and Troy, Montana before landing at Colville as an assistant football coach in 1993.
He took over as head coach in 1997, rebuilding a struggling program into a perennial contender.
In 2018, Cornwell’s squad ended Royal’s 53-game winning streak in a state semifinal before knocking off league rival Newport in the title game.
Gennett shows off dunk skills
Post Falls senior Colby Gennett was invited to participate in the 2020 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Fan Vote.
“Colby is a special student athlete,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said.
The contest identifies 16 of the top “under the radar” dunkers in high school basketball. The athletes compete in an online bracket-style fan vote, which is all about school spirit – getting classmates, teammates, friends, family and entire communities to support and vote.
The first round of voting is Feb. 11-18. The final round will be March 6-13.
Mead inducts two to Hall of Fame
Mead athletics will induct Becky (Nelson) Clark and Gary Baskett into its Hall of Fame on Feb. 6 during halftime of the girls basketball game against Gonzaga Prep.
Clark was a 1968 graduate of Mead and still holds the girls school record for the high jump. She was the Eastern Washington high jump record holder for 14 years and won a national title for the Eagles in 1971. Clark was inducted to the Eastern Washington athletics Hall of Fame in 2016 and was a pioneer for Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding.
Baskett was the boys track coach at Mead for 20 years. He guided the Panthers to five state championships, placed second four times and third twice. His teams produced 29 individual state champions and 19 high school All-Americans. His teams won 159 consecutive dual matches over a 17-year period. Baskett was inducted into the state track and field Hall of Fame in 2001.
Sandpoint coaches recognized
Sandpoint girls soccer coach Conor Baranski and swimming coach Greg Jackson were awarded Idaho State Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards for this fall.
Sandpoint girls soccer and girls swim team captured state titles while the boys swim team placed fourth.