NORTHWEST NOTES: Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016
Former Coeur d’Alene High tackle released by Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers released tackle Josh James, a former Coeur d’Alene High standout, on Tuesday.
James, a 6-foot-5, 314-pound undrafted rookie from NAIA Carroll College in Helena, Mont., signed with Green Bay on May 6.
Press fall sports section scheduled for Thursday’s paper
This is not just a football tab, folks.
Oh, sure, there will be previews of all the area high school football teams.
But the Press’ annual fall sports section, scheduled for insertion in Thursday’s paper, will also have previews for area high school boys and girls soccer teams, cross country teams and swimming teams, as well as North Idaho College volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer teams.
On the cover will be ... well, we don’t want to spoil it.
Dowdell re-signs with Spokane Empire
The Spokane Empire have re-signed quarterback Charles Dowdell to their 2017 Indoor Football League roster, the team announced.
Dowdell, a 6-foot, 200-pounder from Saginaw Valley State, started all 16 regular season games for the Empire last season and led Spokane to a 12-4 record, an Intense Conference Championship victory and an appearance in the United Bowl. Dowdell completed 263 of 425 pass attempts (61.9 percent) for 2,738 yards and tied for first in the league with 63 touchdown passes during the regular season. He was fifth in the league in pass efficiency (105.7) while running the ball 99 times for 442 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Charles will be a major key to our success in 2017,” Spokane coach Adam Shackleford said. “We are working very hard to surround him with the pieces he needs to chase the title again this upcoming season.”
Dowdell started his collegiate career at Indiana State before transferring and playing his final two seasons at Saginaw Valley State where he started 21 games for the Cardinals and recorded 1,327 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 3,784 passing yards, and 27 passing touchdowns. He also participated in the 2010 All-American Bowl and earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors. Dowdell played his prep career at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Game times set for all Eastern football games
The Eastern Washington football team’s home opener on Sept. 17 against Northern Iowa will begin at 4:05 p.m. and be televised live by SWX, the school announced.
Eastern’s home game on Oct. 1 against UC Davis will be shown by ROOT Sports and start at 1:05 p.m. The following week, Northern Colorado comes to Cheney with a 1:05 p.m. kickoff in a game also broadcast by SWX.
Eastern’s home game against Montana on Oct. 29 will be televised by ROOT and broadcast at 12:35 p.m. Eastern closes its home schedule against Idaho State on Nov. 12 at 3:35 p.m., with that game shown on SWX.
Of Eastern’s six road games, four will start in the late afternoon or evening. The Washington State game on Sept. 3 begins at 5 p.m., and is televised by the Pac-12 Networks. The following week on Sept. 10, the Eagles play at North Dakota State with a 12:30 p.m. start.
Kickofff at Northern Arizona on Sept. 24 is 4:05 p.m. in a game televised regionally by Fox Sports Arizona. The Eagles don’t play on the road again until Oct. 22, when they play at Montana State at 11:05 a.m. on ROOT. Eastern’s last two games are at night — Nov. 5 at Cal Poly at 6:05 and Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:35 at Portland State in a game televised by ROOT. the Portland State game was recently moved a half-hour later after a request from ROOT.