THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Thursday, September 24, 2015

Post Falls High football coach Jeff Hinz gave his team a pregame speech last Thursday, prior to the Trojans’ game the following day at East Valley.

But this speech didn’t come on the practice field, or the locker room.

It came from a hospital in Spokane, where Hinz continues to battle cancer.

Last Thursday, the Trojan varsity team and coaching staff hopped onto a bus and visited their coach in the hospital, joining him for pizza -- as well as inspiration.

THE FOLLOWING night, Post Falls rolled to a 42-7 victory at East Valley.

“It’s hard; it’s hard for all of us,” Trojans senior wide receiver/safety Zach Hillman said after the game. “We went and saw him, and he really wanted us to get this win, and this win is definitely for him.”

Hinz, who has never smoked, was diagnosed nearly two years ago with a form on non-smokers’ lung cancer in his leg. It was discovered after his leg gave out on Thanksgiving, and he broke his leg.

Recently, the cancer spread into his spinal fluid.

Hinz coached the Trojans from the press box in their first two games — at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow vs. Sandpoint, and the following week at home vs. Skyview of Nampa.

Complications put him back in the hospital since, and he missed the last two games. Post Falls (2-2) is scheduled to host Lakeland in its homecoming game Friday night. Hinz is out of the hospital this week, and hopes to be at the game.

Post Falls offensive coordinator Sean Dorris, who has some head coaching experience at Sandpoint High roughly a decade ago, was named interim head coach.

“This is a position I never wanted to be in,” said Dorris, like Hinz a Coeur d’Alene High grad. “We’ve been friends for over 30 years, and I never wanted to be doing this for him, but I’m happy that I can do it. It was fun to have him give us a pregame speech yesterday. I told the guys, even though his body’s a little bit of a mess right now, he’s still got the passion inside of him, the fire, you could see it in his eyes, and he gave everything he had in that pregame speech, and it was very, very inspirational for sure.”

SEVERAL FUNDRAISERS have been held to help the family defray medical expenses, and a Facebook page — Tackle Cancer with Coach Hinz — has been set up to provide updates.

Proceeds from tonight’s annual Volleyball 4 the Cure match between Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene (scheduled for 7 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene High) will benefit Hinz, Hospice of North Idaho and the Patient Support Fund through the Kootenai Health Foundation.

As their coach battles cancer, Trojan players and coaches have him on their minds — even as they prepare for the next game.

“It’s tough,” Hillman said. “When we get in the game, it’s all about the game, and after the game, we’re thinking about Coach.”

Dorris said the dinner was light-spirited, with the players telling jokes to keep things that way.

 “It was great to see Coach Hinz smile,” Dorris said. “And it was also good to see that competitor come back out.”

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.