MARK NELKE
Mark Nelke covers high school and North Idaho College sports, University of Idaho football and other local/regional sports as a writer, photographer, paginator and editor at the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has been at The Press since 1998 and sports editor since 2002. Before that, Mark was the one-man sports staff for 16 years at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint. Earlier, he was sports editor for student newspapers at Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University. Mark enjoys the NCAA men's basketball tournament and wiener dogs — and not necessarily in that order.
Recent Stories
STATE 5A BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS: Finishing with a flash
Post Falls beats Capital to advance to third 5A title game in six years
NAMPA - The record will show that senior post Jack Millsap made 10 of 12 free throws Friday night, including 8 of 10 in the final 3 minutes, 24 seconds, to lift the Post Falls Trojans into the state 5A boys basketball championship game tonight.
Pressing on
St. Maries downs Declo, moves on to 2A semifinal
BOISE - With St. Maries trailing by eight points early in the second quarter, Lumberjacks coach Bryan Chase told his team to keep plugging away.
Great Max effort
NAMPA - Depending on your perspective, the first half of the Post Falls-Nampa game featured either terrific pressing defenses by both squads, or sketchy execution against pressure.
Where they wanted it
Dietrich runs to win in Knights' first state game since '05
CALDWELL - The Lakeside Knights had the game right where they wanted early in the third quarter.
Local teams at state basketball tournaments
If media rankings mean anything, several area teams should contend for trophies - if not titles - when the state high school boys basketball tournaments begin today in the Boise area.
STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: All for one
Balanced Post Falls boys team doing whatever it takes so far to put Trojans in position for another run at state title
Dalton Thompson is a senior leader and the second-leading scorer on the Post Falls High boys basketball team, but he took just six shots and scored just two points in the Trojans' most important game of the season to date last week.
5A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Coeur d'Alene bounces back, ousts Lake City
Tony Naccarato's free throw sends Vikings to state play-in game
COEUR d'ALENE - Tony Naccarato missed the first free throw, had a timeout to think about it - then drilled a free throw in the face of the Lake City student section with 6.2 seconds left to effectively extend Coeur d'Alene High's season - and end Lake City's.
4A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Weight off their shoulders
Lakeland advances to state for first time since 2003-04 season
COEUR d'ALENE - Tyrel Derrick held the ball near mid-court as the seconds ticked down and the horn sounded Wednesday night, which was only fitting for someone who had been around a program for so long, without making it to state.
Trojans just too good
Hot-shooting Post Falls rolls past Lake City, earns region's No. 1 berth to state 5A Region 1 boys basketball championship
3A District 1 boys basketball tournament: Tigers falls in overtime
Bonners Ferry to face Kellogg in championship
5A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Pasquale pours in 25 for Lake City
Timberwolves to face Post Falls in title game
COEUR d'ALENE - Shooting and ballhandling have been a couple of bugaboos for Lake City High at times this season.
Nothing to lose for Lakeside
Knights back at state for first time since 2004, will face four-time champion in opener
Five times in the last six seasons, a District 2 team stood in the way of Lakeside and a trip to the state 1A Division I girls basketball tournament.
Tigers, Spartans to battle for title on Wednesday
3A District 1 girls basketball tournament
Moscow dispatches of Hawks
Bears move on to face No. 1 Sandpoint in championship game Wednesday at NIC
Steve Seymour: He's fit in nicely with the Lakeland way
In Person * Sports
Steve Seymour is a Coeur d'Alene High graduate, but it didn't take long for the longtime Lakeland High girls basketball coach to understand the attitude involved in coaching in Rathdrum.
NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Vandals shop local
Two more local players officially joined the Idaho Vandals on Wednesday.
5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL: Trojans smother T-Wolves
Pressure defense propels Post Falls to rout of Lake City and 5A IEL title
COEUR d'ALENE - Several sets of fingernails were spared a good chewing Tuesday night.
ROCKY BRIDGES: 'He was just as funny at home'
Bridges, longtime baseball man full of one-liners who moved to Coeur d'Alene in 1970, dies at 87
By MARK NELKE
5A INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL: Trojans counter
No. 2 Post Falls makes the adjustments in second half to speed past Lake City
POST FALLS - Trailing by seven points at home at halftime Friday night, the second-ranked Post Falls Trojans "never hit the panic button," Post Falls coach Mike McLean said.
Fight for the Fish: More good than bad
Lake City weathers rough stretch, downs Cd'A in OT
COEUR d'ALENE - They played very well in the first half, then struggled mightily to score in the second half.
Four for the win
McCullough’s 3-pointer, free throw lift Post Falls past Coeur d’Alene
COEUR d’ALENE — Another night, another wild finish in the Coeur d’Alene High gym in 5A Inland Empire League boys basketball.
5A Inland Empire League boys basketball: Another rivalry thriller
Coeur d'Alene holds off Lake City in league opener
Trojans quiet the hype
5A third-ranked Post Falls boys rout 4A No. 1 Lakeland; Trojan girls also roll past Hawks
POST FALLS - The Lakeland High boys basketball team came into Friday night's Battle for the Prairie Pig spirit game undefeated and, for the first time in school history, ranked No. 1 in the state media poll.
Lake City girls avenge OT loss to Sandpoint
Four second-half 3s break game open
Workhorses and grinders
Lake City gives strong effort in toppling Sandpoint
Chalich exploring transfer options from Idaho
The only quarterback to win a game at Idaho the past two seasons may be headed somewhere else soon.
Dixon's a Vandal
Lake City senior commits to play football at Idaho
Screen test passed
Ex-Post Falls star Hill, Idaho’s career 3-point leader, thankful for the chance
Through a maze of screens and spot-up jumpers that have produced 1,095 career points and a school-record 250 3-pointers to date, Idaho senior Connor Hill remains thankful.
Vandals' foe has an App for winning
Appalachian State might be better known for its exploits in the Football Championship Subdivision, where it won three straight national championships from 2005-07, along the way upsetting Michigan, which used to be an FBS power.
Vikings essentially starting over
Few teams - much less defending state championship teams - have seen a transformation from one season to the next as has the Coeur d'Alene High girls basketball team.
Vandals in a rush versus Troy on Senior Day
Troy is allowing 247.9 yards rushing per game.
Prep girls hoops season tips off tonight
The Idaho high school girls basketball season tips off tonight, with four local teams in action this weekend.
State 5A football semifinal: Mavericks brace for 'explosive' T-Wolves
When Lake City High football coach Van Troxel looks at the Mountain View Mavericks, tonight's opponent in the state 5A semifinals, the Timberwolves' foe looks familiar.
Help for Hill
Vandals need others to step up and share scoring load with former Post Falls High star
In previous seasons, Connor Hill wasn't the focal point offensively for the Idaho Vandals.
Seniors 'know how far we've come'
Of the 19 seniors Idaho will recognize Saturday on Senior Day, nine have been with the Vandals throughout their college careers.
State 5A football playoffs: T-Wolves 'find a way'
Goal line stand in OT sends Lake City to semis
COEUR d’ALENE — They were gashed up the middle by the run the entire first half.
Viks embrace road mentality
If there was a program built to withstand a long road through the playoffs, it would be the Coeur d'Alene High football program.
NIC men to host first soccer playoff game since 2006
COEUR d'ALENE - Two of the top four teams in the Northwest Athletic Conference - at least, according to the coaches poll - will collide Saturday at North Idaho College's Eisenwinter Field in the quarterfinals of the NWAC men's soccer tournament.
Seniority rules
Lake City High seniors Goggin, Newby wait their turn, join Louie-McGee to form dynamic Timberwolf triple threat
Coming into this season, the Lake City High football coaches knew what they had in Jerry Louie-McGee - after all, they had watched the exciting H-back make remarkable play after remarkable play the last two years.
The longest yard
Motivated offensive linemen have Post Falls back in state playoffs for first time since 2004
POST FALLS - It started with four plays that didn't gain an inch.
STATE HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS: Kootenai peaked at right time
It's not how you start.
Those slow starts ...
Cardinals fall in fifth game to Bruins
COEUR d'ALENE - For much of the match, it was hard to tell which team was nationally ranked, and which team came in with a losing record in conference play.
PREP FOOTBALL ADVANCE: A lot to be sorted out in final week of prep slate
Friday's Games
Vikings power to state
Coeur d'Alene whips Lewiston, advances to state for first time since ’08
'Great win ... huge'
T-Wolves beat Vikings for first time since 2009, earn top seed to state playoffs
COEUR d'ALENE - In a game which featured 87 points, more than 1,100 yards of offense and three electrifying kick returns for touchdowns, the decisive play here Friday night was made by the defense.
Vandals, New Mexico Statehave a whole lot in common
However it's worked out, Idaho and New Mexico State have been strange bedfellows on the football field over the years.
3A DISTRICT 1-2 GIRLS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP: Game of the season
Robnett's score stands up as Timberlake beats league champ Cd'A Charter
COEUR d'ALENE - After a couple years away from the sport, Harper Robnett decided to turn out for soccer this year as a freshman at Timberlake High.
PREP FOOTBALL ADVANCE: How much has the gap closed?
City rivals Lake City, Cd'A collide tonight
Tonight's Games
Penny for Vandals' running thoughts
With Kris Olugbode out last week with a shoulder injury, Idaho junior running back Elijhaa Penny took advantage of an increased workload last week at Georgia Southern, totaling 75 yards on 21 carries, and scoring three touchdowns - one off the school record.