THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, September 17, 2015
In its eighth season of extensive travel to play District 2 teams, Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy is looking to cut down on its travel times — even it it means moving up a classification.
Coeur d’Alene Charter is petitioning to move up from the 2A to 3A division for the next two-year classification cycle, which begins in fall 2016.
Charter’s petition — as well as petitions from other schools statewide which want to move up or down, including Lakeside and Wallace — will be heard at the next Idaho High School Activities Association board of directors meeting, scheduled for Sept. 29 in Boise.
“Travel for regular season competitions in District 2 has been an ongoing concern for the school in terms of distance — over three hours each way — and safety during the winter months,” Coeur d’Alene Charter athletic director Brett DePew said.
In the current formation of the class 2A Central Idaho League, Coeur d’Alene Charter’s opponents are Grangeville (186 miles away), Orofino (135 miles) and St. Maries (56 miles).
The Intermountain League consists of Timberlake (25 miles from Coeur d’Alene), Kellogg (39 miles), Priest River (42 miles) and Bonners Ferry (74 miles).
“Most of our athletic programs compete against the area 3A schools in nonleague competition,” DePew said. “The move up will result in less travel, good competition, and make far better sense to our families. The move into the 3A Intermountain League would also reduce the loss of instruction time in the classroom when traveling for district tournaments; sometimes two or three trips south over the course of a week.”
Charter moved up from 1A following the 2007-08 season. Charter does not offer football, but does have volleyball, cross country, girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, tennis and track and field.
Class 3A is for schools with enrollment (grades 9-12) of 320-639 students. Class 2A is 160-319 students, class 1A Division I is 100-159, and class 1A Division II is 99 students and below.
Charter’s average enrollment from the last school year’s two reporting periods was 283 — the fourth-highest total in 2A. Timberlake’s average was 509, Bonners Ferry 458.5, Priest River 370.5, Kellogg 363.5.
Lakeside’s average enrollment from last year was 108 students, which would bump it up next year to 1A Division I, where it had been since 2001, until moving down to 1A Division II for the last classification cycle two years ago. Lakeside is petitioning to stay in 1A Division II, where it feels like it’s a better fit, competing against Kootenai, Mullan and Clark Fork.
Wallace’s average enrollment from last year was 161, which would bump it up — by two students — to 2A. Wallace has been in 1A Division I since dropping down from 2A in 2004. Wallace is petitioning to stay in 1A Division I.
ANYONE WHO watched the Coeur d’Alene-Eagle state 5A football championship game in 2011 can attest to the arm strength of BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum.
Back in 2011, Mangum was a senior at Eagle High, and unleashed several deep throws amidst the snow flurries against the Vikings. Coeur d’Alene, of course, had a little more depth, led by Chad Chalich and Deon Watson, and won 49-28 for its second straight state title.
Mangum grayshirted at BYU in 2012, then went on a two-year LDS Church mission to Chile, and is a true freshman this season. In his first two college games, he threw Hail Mary touchdown passes to beat Nebraska and Boise State.
The QB he replaced in the Nebraska game was Taysom Hill, who as a senior in 2008 led Highland High of Pocatello past Lake City en route to a state title. Hill originally committed to Stanford in high school, before eventually winding up at BYU.
Speaking of other quarterbacks with ties to local teams, USC backup quarterback Max Browne, a redshirt sophomore, was 4 of 6 for 43 yards against Idaho last Saturday, in relief of Cody Kessler. Browne starred at Skyline High in Sammamish, Wash., where in 2012 led Skyline to a 71-20 victory over Coeur d’Alene at the Kibbie Dome.
ONE OF those measuring stick volleyball matches will take place tonight, when Coeur d’Alene travels to Lake City at 7 p.m. with first place in the 5A Inland Empire League on the line.
Coeur d’Alene, second at state last year, is 11-1 overall, 1-0 5A IEL, and has won its last 11 matches. In a testament to their depth, the Vikings are undefeated since losing star setter/outside hitter Megan Ramseyer to a torn ACL in the third match of the season.
Lake City is 13-2, 2-0 in the 5A IEL. One of the Timberwolves’ losses came at the hands of Coeur d’Alene, 25-21, 27-25 in the semifinals of the Lakeland Invitational last Saturday.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.