Northwest Notes, May 31, 2014
Lake City to face Borah
for state D-2 lacrosse title
The Lake City High lacrosse team will take on Borah of Boise today at noon PDT in the state Division 2 lacrosse championship at Cassia Park in Boise.
Lake City (11-1) advanced to the title game by beating Coeur d'Alene 9-5 in the North Idaho Lacrosse League championship match on May 22.
Borah is 14-3.
This year, high school lacrosse was separated into two divisions, with Treasure Valley teams Bishop Kelly, Boise, Capital, Centennial, Eagle, Mountain View, Rocky Mountain and Timberline in Division 1.
Mountain View of Meridian defeated Timberline of Boise 13-8 in the state Division 1 title game on Wednesday in Eagle.
Division 2 is made up of Ambrose, Borah, Emmett, Meridian, Skyview, Vallivue and Wood River, as well as teams in the North Idaho Lacrosse League.
It is the fifth time that Lake City has advanced to the title game. Since the North Idaho and Boise teams have squared off for the state title starting in 2008, Boise teams have won every year.
Former Coeur d'Alene coach
takes Sandpoint boys job
SANDPOINT - Kent Leiss, who went 140-91 in 10 seasons as coach of the Coeur d'Alene High boys basketball team (2003-13) and took the 5A Vikings to state four times, has been named boys basketball coach at 4A Sandpoint High.
Leiss replaces Tyler Haynes, who coached the Bulldogs for three stints totaling 11 seasons.
Leiss started coaching at a high school in Minnesota, then was head coach at Flathead High in Kalispell, Mont., for five years before guiding the Vikings.
"I've been a head coach for 24 years, it's kind of in your blood," said Leiss, who was also a graduate assistant in college in North Dakota. "All three of my previous jobs were rebuilding jobs; that motivates me. I'm excited about the possibilities."
Sandpoint was 8-13 this season. Sandpoint last qualified for state in 2009. The Bulldogs' first-round victory marked the program's first win at state since 1966.
Sandpoint High athletic director Kris Knowles coached against Leiss for two seasons when Knowles was head coach at Lake City. Leiss and Knowles were announced as head coaches at their respective schools on the same day in 2003.
Also, Duane Ward, who has coached basketball at numerous levels in Sandpoint for decades, was named Bulldog girls basketball coach.
He replaces Bill Bender, who resigned following two seasons. Under Bender, the Bulldogs this season won their first regional title since 1982, and advanced to state for the first time since 2004.
Ward previously coached the Sandpoint High boys basketball team in the 1980s, and coached the Sandpoint High girls in the 1990s. Most recently, Ward has been coaching girls basketball at Sandpoint Middle School.
Ward is a Sandpoint High grad and a member of the Sandpoint High Athletic Hall of Fame.
"I always felt I owed Sandpoint a lot and wanted to give back," Ward said.
Vandals putting on youth
boys basketball camp
Registration deadline is Tuesday for a youth basketball camp put on by the University of Idaho men's basketball program, for boys entering grades K-8 and scheduled for June 23-26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Memorial Gym in Moscow.
The full-day rate is $155; the cost after June 9 is $195. Signups will be taken at 7:30 a.m. the first day of camp.
The half-day rate (9 a.m. to noon) is $120.
Campers can bring their own lunch, or purchase one at the U of I for $7.45 per day.
Information: Curtis Carlson, (619) 534-2091, [email protected], www.vandalcamps.com