The Front Row with MARK NELKE Nov. 17, 2011

This ’n that with one last, kinda important, game remaining before we wrap up the fall sports season:

Normally we don’t start with injuries, but this one is kinda noteworthy. Coeur d’Alene High quarterback Chad Chalich suffered a hairline fracture in his foot during last Friday’s victory over Capital of Boise in the state 5A football semifinals.

Vikings coach Shawn Amos said Chalich, last year’s 5A Player of the Year, won’t practice this week, but will start Friday. Amos said coaches noticed Chalich limping at halftime, and Chalich said he thought he hurt it in the second quarter.

“We anticipate he’ll play, and if not, we’re preparing our backup to play,” Amos said.

The backup quarterback is sophomore Gunnar Amos, the son of the coach, who has thrown 17 passes in limited varsity action.

Former Post Falls High basketball standout Connor Hill will likely redshirt this season as a freshman with the University of Idaho basketball team, Vandals coach Don Verlin said earlier this week.

Verlin said Xavier Bazile, a freshman from Mt. Tahoma High in Tacoma, would also likely redshirt.

Here’s what Verlin said after Monday’s win over Concordia:

“I haven’t made the decision officially, but I think they probably will redshirt. That’s what we’re leaning toward right now, but you never know, if we have an injury or something goes on, those guys will be available.

“Those are two really good freshmen in our program. I’m excited about those guys, and they’re going to be very good players down the road.

“I think you have to compare year one to year five, and I think they both can benefit from a redshirt year, especially on the defensive end. I really liked what I saw from both those guys in the exhibition games, but really once we get into the season, I can only play eight or nine guys, maybe 10, and I just felt that they have their redshirt years available and their best years are ahead of them. I think Vandal fans will be very happy in year five, when we’ve taken advantage of the redshirts.”

As a Trojan senior last year, Hill was the 5A Player of the Year.

A North Idaho icon of sorts was removed the other day when the large, overhead scoreboard at North Idaho College’s Christianson Gym was lowered and taken away.

The scoreboard had been there since the 1990-91 season.

“The manufacturer of the scoreboard has since gone out of business and it was getting increasingly harder to get replacement parts and bulbs for the dinosaur,” NIC athletic director Al Williams said.

“Teams have often requested that we remove it or upgrade it, which made it an even harder decision to bring down. It was a tremendous advantage at the end of close basketball games since the point guard had to look up to see the time on the clock and take his eye off of the ball.”

The low-hanging scoreboard affected many a volleyball dig, as well as many a length-of-the-court pass or shot.

You’ll remember when NIC’s Melvin Jones made his game-winning 75-foot 3-pointer to beat Southern Idaho a few years ago, he hoisted it from near the sideline in the backcourt, so as to avoid the scoreboard.

A new scoreboard is in place on the wall at the stage end of the gym.

“It gave our Cardinals a distinct advantage for 20 years,” Williams said. “Time to start a new tradition.”

With the old scoreboard went the spotlight used for NIC wrestling matches, as well as the finals of the Tri-State wrestling tournament. Williams said NIC will use brighter lights from the ceiling for now, but may consider retractable lights in the future.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected].