THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Forty years later, a chance to celebrate a great Viking team — and shed a tear

One by one, players and coaches — and even cheerleaders — who were a part of the 1982 Coeur d’Alene High football team which brought home the program’s first state title received warm applause from the crowd at halftime of the Vikings’ football game vs. Woodinville (Wash.) last week.

But when it came time to honor their senior quarterback on that team from 40 years ago, well, it got a little emotional.

Steve Halliday, the starter heading into the season before he was sidelined by a broken finger, died last Oct. 1 at age 56 — one day before his 57th birthday — of complications following a brain seizure.

Duane Halliday was there, representing his big brother, Steve — “Bro,” he called him. When Steve was introduced, Duane waved to the crowd. He hugged his sister-in-law, Jan — Steve’s widow.

Duane hugged other teammates around him.

So did Jan.

“Viking Field meant everything to my brother and I,” Duane recalled a few days later. “They (that 1982 team) started everything by bringing the first one (championship) home. And it was a pretty amazing night for a lot of different reasons. Those guys are all part of the legends hall of fame now, and very much so should be honored, but it was kinda special for my brother right now, because we lost him at this time last year.”

Otherwise, Steve would have been delighted to see his old team honored.

“He would have been all around his teammates,” Duane said. “They were not only teammates, but lifelong friends. That night would have been very, very important to him; he would not have missed that for anything. No way. No way.”

THE 1982 Coeur d’Alene Vikings put together a perfect 12-0 season, capped by a 55-13 mauling of Twin Falls in the state championship game in Twin Falls.

“They felt, I think, a real strength from the kids that came before them, and put that responsibility on their shoulders,” said Larry Schwenke, an assistant coach on that ’82 team who later became the Vikings’ head coach in ’86. “And I think set the bar for future teams, being the first state champion football team from Coeur d’Alene.”

Among the legendary names from that 1982 squad — Mike Cox. Don Leonard. Dan Hannon. And there were plenty others.

Herb Criner was hired as coach in 1980, and delivered a state title in his third season — and took the Vikings back to the state title game in 1983.

“He allowed his assistants, and expected his assistants, to coach,” said Schwenke, who became a varsity assistant in 1975, and was receivers coach on the 1982 staff. “The staff, we all worked together very well, and the kids were eager to learn, and we had some very talented kids that worked really hard. And to go 12-0 was a testament.”

That was back before state title games were usually played on college campuses. Coeur d’Alene beat Highland in a semifinal at Pocatello, and headed for home figuring Borah would win the other semi, and Coeur d’Alene would host the state title game.

But the Vikings eventually found out Twin Falls had upset Borah, so the Vikings would have to make another long road trip for the title game.

“It was not the days of cell phones,” Schwenke said with a laugh. “I think we stopped the buses in Dubois and someone got on a landline and figured out that Twin had won.

“We had a pretty strong aerial attack, and when got down to Twin, we practiced on their practice field, and the wind was blowing about 50 miles an hour, and I don’t think we completed many passes in practice. But the next day, not a breath of wind, and it ended up in our favor.”

Just prior to the season, Steve Halliday hit his hand on a teammate’s helmet while throwing a pass during a scrimmage. While Steve healed, junior Scott Wellman took over as quarterback, and started the rest of the season. When Steve recovered, he saw some action the rest of the season in a backup role.

“That was hard on the whole family and it was hard on ‘Bro,’ but he never wavered, he never … he taught me a lot,” Duane said. “He kept his head up; he never pissed and moaned about it, he was definitely a leader on that team.”

In the title game, after Wellman led the Vikings to a 35-0 halftime lead, Halliday took over in the second half, throwing two touchdown passes and finishing 12 of 19 for 158 yards.

“He was absolutely a champion in his role,” Schwenke said of Halliday.

AT FIRST, Jan Halliday wasn’t sure she wanted to be part of it all last Friday night — until a little convincing from Duane and another former classmate or two.

The former Jan Wendell, CHS class of 1983 just like Steve, played volleyball and basketball for the Vikings, and ran track.

Jan and Steve had been married a little over 35 years — they’d dated since they were seventh graders at Lakes Junior High.

“Jan was a great athlete in her own right at Coeur d’Alene High School, so she knows what it’s like to rise up and make something happen as well,” Duane said. “I tip my cap to my sister-in-law.”

Eleven days after Steve died, his mother passed away. Steve and Duane’s dad had died in 1995.

Duane was a ninth grader at Lakes when Steve was a senior at CHS. Steve attracted some interest from colleges, and he walked on briefly at Boise State before he — and Jan — eventually graduated from Oregon State.

As a senior, Duane became Coeur d’Alene’s starting quarterback, and led the Vikings to their second state title, in 1985. Duane went on to play QB at Boise State and his son, Connor Halliday, played quarterback at Washington State.

“Through flag football and Junior Tackle, ‘Bro’ was a quarterback, and of course you always want to be what your big brother is,” Duane said. “He wore No. 12, so I wore No. 12.”

So for Duane — and for Jan — it was a little bittersweet to be part of the 40-year reunion of Coeur d’Alene’s first state football champs last Friday night.

“Absolutely,” said Duane, who has worked in the billboard advertising business the past 31 years. “It was difficult to not look around and see him standing around. My big brother was just that — he was the greatest big brother a little brother could ask for, and to not have him there, and to just have Jan and I there. It was a real credit to my sister-in-law to be able to get the intestinal fortitude to be able to go out and do that, after it was coming up on a year. She is one strong woman.”

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.