Northwest Notes Aug. 17, 2011
Wildfire U10, U12 softball
tryouts set next week
Tryouts for the Northwest Wildfire under-10 fastpitch select softball team, for players born in 2001 or later, are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Finucane Park in Hayden.
Information: Mary Jo Lyons, 691-8604
Tryouts are also scheduled for the Wildfire U12 team tonight and Aug. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Finucane Park.
Information: David Fernimen, 755-3652 or Brandon Guindon, 819-7769.
Mathews wins two more
national championships
NEW LONDON, Conn. - George Mathews, Coeur d'Alene High throws coach and Hayden Lake resident, completed his outdoor championship competitive season by winning the USATF National Masters Throws Pentathlon held this past weekend at Connecticut College.
Mathews scored a 4047 total for the five events which include the hammer, shot put, discus, javelin and weight throw. His mark was 751 points higher than the nearest competitor. Mathews also won the men's age 65-69 44-pound super weight throw with a mark of 29 feet, 8 1/2 inches.
These championships follow wins in the hammer and weight throw at the USATF Masters Nationals in Berea, Ohio, in July and the hammer at the National Senior Games in Houston in June.
Mathews also placed second in the hammer, third in the weight and fourth in the shot put at the World Masters Championships in Sacramento in July.
Ex-Shock receiver
signs with Broncos
Former Spokane Shock wide receiver Greg Orton has signed with the Denver Broncos, the Shock announced.
Orton joined the Broncos shortly after signing with the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks, who picked him up after a breakout season in Spokane. As a member of the Shock, Orton led the team in receptions (120), receiving yards (1,588), and touchdowns (37).
Although this will be Orton's rookie season in the NFL, he also spent time in training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009.
Hunter joins Vandal
football coaching staff
MOSCOW - Robb Akey knew just where to look when he needed a cornerbacks coach - to former Washington State Cougar Torey Hunter, who has been building his coaching reputation throughout the Northwest since his first coaching job in 2002.
"I've known him a long, long time," Akey said of Hunter, who joined the Vandals this week after a highly successful tenure at Eastern Washington. "I've seen him grow as a coach. He brings a lot to us."
Hunter takes over as cornerbacks coach in a reorganization of Akey's defensive staff, which includes adding linebackers to defensive coordinator Mark Criner's task list and giving full control of special teams to Patrick Libey in addition to his coaching the safeties.
Hunter's first collegiate coaching stop was as the secondary coach at Western Washington in 2002. His next stop was at Idaho State where he coached the secondary from 2003-2006. He spent one season (2007) as receivers coach at Central Washington before heading to Cheney with then-CWU coach Beau Baldwin when Baldwin accepted the EWU post.
Hunter was on the Cougars' Alamo and Copper bowl championship teams and played in the 1995 Senior Bowl. He was a third-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers and spent seven years playing professional in the NFL, NFL Europe, CFL and Arena Football League.