THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016
Last weekend’s area wildfires were a grim reminder of devastation, as well as loss of property and lives.
In North Idaho, it brought back memories of the first weekend of last year’s high school football season, when five games were moved indoors to the Kibbie Dome because of poor air quality outdoors.
Closer to home, Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls moved their scheduled home openers south down U.S. 95.
With the air quality this week not nearly as poor as it was last year at this time, schools are hoping not to have to adjust their schedules as the Idaho high school football season opens this weekend,
Lake City is scheduled to open at home on Friday vs. Madison of Rexburg. Post Falls travels to Sandpoint. Coeur d’Alene will travel again, but for a different reason — the Vikings open Saturday at Folsom (Calif.).
“Right now, we’re planning on wanting to play here,” Lake City High athletic director Jim Winger said. “It looks like we’re going to be OK.”
While the University of Idaho was generous in opening up the Kibbie Dome for the teams on short notice last year, high school teams are reluctant to give up home games — revenue from attendance is crucial to athletic department budgets.
But on the other hand, they have to weigh in the health effects of playing in smoky conditions.
In other area openers, it’s Bonners Ferry at Lakeland, Kellogg at St. Maries and Kootenai vs. Lewis County at Craigmont.
This year, ADs are also air quality monitors. If the air quality reading is 150 or above, teams can’t practice outside. That kept the Lake City football team inside for an hour or so Monday morning. Following some meetings, etc., indoors, the air quality had improved enough for the Timberwolves go outdoors to practice.
BRAD VEILE has been at Lakeside High as long as there has been a Lakeside.
“I came in with consolidation,” Veile said, referring to when Plummer and Worley high schools combined to form Lakeside High in 1990. “Ron Miller, he’s got five years on me,” Veile said of the former football and girls basketball coach at Plummer/Lakeside, and former (and current) athletic director.
Veile, in his 27th year teaching at Lakeside, returns this season as volleyball coach after an absence of 10 years. He previously coached the Knights from 1991-2005. He has remained as Lakeside track and field coach the past two decades.
Other than Genesis Prep, the schools in the North Star League have pretty much remained the same from Veile’s first go-round coaching volleyball.
Veile, 59, said he isn’t familiar yet with the current volleyball prowess of the other teams in the league — but he definitely is familiar with the other league coaches. He coached against Dawn McKinnon (Mullan) and Cindy Derr (Clark Fork) during his first stint at Lakeside. In addition to Kootenai coach Mary Gentry playing for him at Lakeside, and Wallace coach Anali (Carrico) Spooner played against Veile’s teams when she starred at Mullan High.
“I’m really excited to see Mr. Veile coming out of retirement,” said Gentry, who as Mary Kolar played for Veile at Lakeside in the late 1990s. “He’s a great guy and a great coach and he has a lot to offer Lakeside. To be honest, it’s pushing me step up my game as a coach and creates more friendly, fun competition.”
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.