THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: 40 for 40, North Idaho sports style

Forty years ago last Tuesday, I walked into the office of the Sandpoint Daily Bee, around 7 in the morning (we were an afternoon paper at the time) for my first day of work.

At least I knew where the building was this time.

When I motored up to Sandpoint from Spokane for a late-afternoon job interview a few weeks earlier, the sun was in my eyes as I turned onto Church Street, and I drove right past the Bee.

Then I did it again.

After the third time, I found the nearest gas station — if you are of a certain age, you are taught that people who work at gas stations know where everything is — and the folks at Paul’s Chevron confirmed that, yes, I was driving right past the Bee all those times.

Fortunately Clare, the editor of the Bee, was understanding (or desparate?), and I ended up getting the job.

And here we are — including one move 45 miles to the south in 1998 to join the staff at The Press — still covering sports in North Idaho, 40 years later.

For that, you can thank Clare.

Or blame her.

WHILE STILL at the Bee, I interviewed many coaches in the Press coverage area, either at games or for previews, as “our” teams played “their” teams quite a bit.

So that also made the transition easier, now that “their” teams were now “our” teams.

Still …

One night one coach in Coeur d’Alene, early in my tenure at The Press, a veteran coach got in my face and, with all seriousness, said, “You bleed Bulldog Red.”

The young-ish, smart aleck in me wanted to reply something like, “Well, if I bled any other color, I probably would be dead.”

But if I had spoken, perhaps I would have been dead.

So I said nothing.

Fortunately another coach stepped in and diffused the situation.

That veteran coach and I ended up becoming pretty good friends.

THE FIRST five years I covered the Sandpoint High volleyball team, the Bulldogs won the state championship each year.

I could get used to this, I thought.

I remember being in Boise in 1997, a glaze of ice forming in the fourth quarter on a mid-November Friday night at Bronco Stadium, as Sandpoint was winning its first state title in football. I thought there would be more titles by now; I’m sure the Bulldogs did too.

There was the run in the mid-1990s by the Sandpoint wrestling team, the best team in the state during that time, winning three straight state titles. Even their dual matches were must-watches.

When the Bulldogs returned from Pocatello on Sunday morning after their first state title, even that turned into a pep rally of sorts.

After the Bulldogs filed off the bus in front of the school, Sandpoint wrestling coach Dan Taylor gave an impromptu speech to a few dozen assembled parents, students and other supporters. He noted at state, fans from other schools wondered why the Bulldogs (and their fans) showed up just for their matches, and didn’t stick around to watch the other matches.

“We hammer … we leave!” Taylor explained as the crowd cheered.

Watching Sandpoint win a state volleyball title on one court, and moments later, watching St. Maries win a state title on the other court. And trying to catch up with coaches and players from both teams for reaction.

I still miss afternoon football games in Clark Fork.

Watching Coeur d’Alene slugger John Schroeder hit a ball to center field that landed in the football press box at Memorial Field in Sandpoint. And also hit one to right field that landed on the other side of the roof of the old fieldhouse at Memorial.

Moving to The Press allowed me to see even more state events.

The old days when state track and field was all at Bronco Stadium, especially the years when the spotlight was on the 5A and 4A finals on Friday night, and the smaller schools had their day in the sun on Saturday.

Watching Lake City upset Coeur d’Alene to win a state girls basketball team, a game — and a season — that inspired a book.

Watching Coeur d’Alene come back and win the next three state titles — a long bank shot in overtime capping the three-peat.

Watching Lake City win its first state title in baseball, seeing Post Falls win a couple of state titles in boys basketball, watching Genesis Prep go back-to-back, and watching St. Maries and Lakeside win it all …

Watching Lake City win a state 4A title in football, then another state title four years later in 5A … watching Coeur d’Alene play in four straight state title games in the early 2010s, winning three.

And who could forget the “snow day” in October a couple of years ago — watching a state soccer semifinal being played in 7 inches of snow on a Friday afternoon, then seeing Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls play for the league title in football on a white-covered field that night.

And I’m sure there will be others that come to mind after this story hits your driveway — or the world wide web.

THERE WERE other memories.

Like any time I got to interview Jerry Kramer, going as far back as 1986, then following him around Sandpoint Elks Golf Course for a few holes when we got a tip he was playing out there, talking to him after he was finally going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then talking to him just as recently as last year.

The stories never get old.

Like the time, when I was still at the Bee, I interviewed a Coeur d’Alene football coach after a win at Sandpoint, in the bathroom area of the old fieldhouse at Memorial Field because it was too noisy in the locker room — as a clogged toilet loomed nearby.

The 57-56 double-overtime state championship game between Coeur d’Alene and Rigby at the Kibbie Dome was memorable, because it was almost too unbelievable to be true. Viking fans might not remember it the same way, but it was still one heckuva high school football game.

I can remember all the curious people whipping out their phones to record the moment when a big tractor, normally used for burning fields in the summertime so crops can be replanted, showed up during the state softball tournament and started torching one of the softball fields at Post Falls High, helping get it playable after two days of rain had turned it into a muddy muck.

GETTING TO know the kids and coaches has been one of the most fun parts of the job — especially in the early days when I was covering just two schools (Sandpoint and Clark Fork), and you’d see the same people at pretty much everything throughout the school year.

Some kids go on to be coaches, many stay in the community as parents, and sometimes I end up interviewing their kids, usually once they reach high school.

One person who is now a high school head football coach recalled recently that I once interviewed him back when he was playing Little League baseball.

I remember getting to know a certain Sandpoint Bulldog in the early 1990s who played football and also threw the shot put and discus.

Who would have known that Jason Duchow would go on to become such a successful photographer in the area, our go-to guy for state basketball tournaments, as well as any other game he can get to and help us out.

TALK ABOUT full circle.

The first high school football game I covered was Sandpoint at Bonners Ferry, on a Friday night in early September in 1982.

Forty years later, on a Friday night in early September in 2022, I covered a Sandpoint football game — at Coeur d’Alene.

And if I had to bet, I’d say there was at least one person from Sandpoint who was at both games.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.