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Coeur d’Alene Charter, Kellogg, Priest River to
stay in 3A
LEWISTON — All four North Idaho high schools successfully petitioned either up or down at an Idaho High School Activities Association board of control meeting Tuesday.
Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, Kellogg and Priest River will all remain in 3A, despite enrollment numbers that would have dropped them to 2A.
Clark Fork successfully petitioned to remain down in 1A Division II, after enrollment numbers which would have bumped that school up to 1A Division I.
Other schools statewide who successfully petitioned were: Caldwell, Canyon Ridge and Nampa, down from 5A to 4A; Greenleaf Friends Academy, up to 1A Division I; Castleford, down to 1A Division II; and Sun Valley Community School, down from 2A to 1A Division II.
Schools whose petitions to move one classification down were denied were: Idaho Falls and Skyview, who will remain in 5A; Emmett and Shelley, who will remain in 4A; Compass Charter, which will remain in 2A; and Murtaugh, which will stay in 1A Division I.
The new classifications will be effect for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.
Basketball practice begins for Vandal
men, women
MOSCOW — Official practice for college basketball teams began Tuesday.
“It was a fun day, and that’s what you want,” Idaho interim men’s basketball coach Zac Claus said. “Coming into this we knew the guys would have a tremendous amount of energy, which they did. The test to us is how are we on Thursday and Friday.
“These guys have been terrific all fall, even going back into the summer, in terms of their work ethic, their toughness, their maturity about attacking each day has been terrific, and today was no different.”
The Vandals get started with a pair of exhibitions at home, on Oct. 22 against Central Washington and Oct. 29 against Lewis-Clark State, before tipping off the season on Nov. 5 against Evergreen State in Memorial Gym.
Senior guard Trevon Allen is one of the few returners, while the rest of the roster has been filled out with a number of talented junior college transfers and freshmen.
“I thought it was great,” Allen said about the first day of practice. “Our chemistry is already pretty solid. Had the guys go hard today, worked really hard and stuff like that. For our first practice it was flowing really well. We have a long ways to go before our first game, but I think every day as long as we get better we’ll be fine.”
Idaho’s women are looking to defend their 2018-19 Big Sky regular season title.
“It feels great,” Vandal women’s coach Jon Newlee said. “It’s an earlier start than we’ve ever had, as far as official practice. I feel like it came up kind of quick, with the end of summer and the start of school and starting official practices, but we’re ready to go.”
The season gets started officially on Nov. 5, at Oklahoma State, but fans can get their first look at the squad in Memorial Gym on Friday, Nov. 1, against Lewis-Clark State. The regular season home opener will be on Nov. 13, with Colorado State coming to town.
The Vandals return nine players that saw action a year ago, including Big Sky Freshman of the Year Gina Marxen at point guard. Newlee has also retooled his roster with three highly-touted freshmen and Shalyse Smith, who joined the program in January as a transfer from Arizona.
Locals on the Vandals include post Nina Carlson (Lake City High) and guard Allison Kirby (Timberlake), both juniors.
“I’d like to be able to play a lot of kids early, that’s my plan,” Newlee said. “Kind of give everybody that chance, everybody their shot, and see what happens. A lot will depend on this first month of practice, and who progresses and who doesn’t, going into that first exhibition game. I would love to be able to get everybody in there and really see what they can do when the lights come on.”
Boise State, UCF schedule
home-and-home series in football
BOISE — Boise State has scheduled a home-and-home football series with the University of Central Florida, athletic director Curt Apsey announced.
The Broncos will open week one of the 2021 season at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, Fla., and the Knights will make the return trip to Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Sept. 9, 2023.
Boise State and UCF have not previously met in football.
To accommodate the series with UCF, the Broncos have moved their 2021 game at Houston to the 2025 season, and their 2023 game against Rice to 2029.
For the 2021 nonconference slate, the Broncos will now play on the road against UCF and BYU, and home games against UTEP and Oklahoma State. In 2023, nonconference tilts will be played at home against both Oregon State and UCF, and on the road against Michigan State and BYU.
Boise State has played just two games against the American Athletic Conference, going 2-0 against Connecticut. However, against schools that currently comprise the league, the Broncos are 10-1 all-time. Boise State is 6-0 against Tulsa, and 2-0 against both SMU and UConn. The only blemish came against East Carolina in the 2007 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.