Northwest Notes August 16, 2011

Local hoopsters Ward, Baracco hook up with NIC

COEUR d'ALENE - Casey Ward, a 6-foot-6 forward who graduated from Post Falls High in 2007, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at North Idaho College, Cardinals coach Jared Phay announced.

Ward is the younger brother of former Post Falls and NIC player Steven Ward.

Phay also announced the signings of Paul Beene, a point guard from Chicago, and Kaj Sherman, a 7-footer from Mercer Island, Wash. Beene played at Leo High, which produced former NIC players Keelan Donald and Frank Clair. Sherman was rated the No. 5 post in Washington by NorthwestHoops.com.

Guard Andrew Baracco, who helped Coeur d'Alene place third at last season's state 5A basketball tournament, plans to walk on at NIC, Phay said.

Also, Jake Owsley, a reserve last year, has decided to take a year off from school and basketball and return home to Bozeman, Mont., to work, Phay said.

EWU football team picked No. 1 in preseason poll

The Eastern Washington University football program will start the 2011 season the way it ended the 2010 campaign as the No. 1-ranked football team in the NCAA Championship Subdivision.

The Eagles have been installed as a prohibitive No. 1 by voters in The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Preseason Top 25 released Monday. They gained 90 of the 140 first-place votes and 3,377 points in the poll, which is selected by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.

Montana State, which shared the Big Sky Conference title with Eastern last year, is ranked sixth in the preseason poll.