Northwest Notes

Post Falls High

football player earns

long-snapping honor

RENTON, Wash. — Post Falls High long snapper Kellen Dyer was declared a standout participant at the Rubio Long Snapping Camp in Renton on Sunday.

Dyer, who will be a senior this fall, competed with approximately 35 participants from Washington, Nevada, Florida, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado and Canada. Snappers gathered at Liberty High in Renton to learn from the best and get the most exposure possible to college coaches.

“Kellen Dyer has a great attitude and solid form. He is always improving and is an absolute workhorse. You tell Dyer to do something and you can just consider it done,” said Chris Rubio, long snapping instructor for Rubio Long Snapping.

Cougars open spring

football practice today

PULLMAN — The Washington State football team will begin its spring practice schedule today, the first of 15 practice dates that conclude April 25. The annual Crimson and Gray Game will be April 22 at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane at 2 p.m. and televised by the Pac-12 Networks.

This spring marks the sixth under head coach Mike Leach as the Cougars return 44 lettermen from last season’s Holiday Bowl team, 20 on offense, 23 on the defense and one on special teams.

Offensively, the Cougars return seven starters from 2016, including 2016 All-Pac-12 performers Luke Falk, Jamal Morrow, Cole Madison, as well as unanimous All-American Cody O’Connell, just the second in school history. The Cougars led the Pac-12 in passing offense (362.5 yards per game, third nationally), completion percentage (.703, second nationally) and first downs (340, seventh nationally). WSU also returns the entire running back group, which combined for 1,660 rushing yards, 1,034 receiving yards and 31 total touchdowns, one of only four schools nationally to have to have both 1,000-plus rushing and receiving yards.

Defensively, WSU begins its third season under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Last season the Cougar defense allowed 26.4 ppg and 405.9 ypg, both marked improvements over 2015. The Cougars’ rushing defense finished third in the Pac-12 at 134.2 ypg, the fewest yards allowed by WSU since 2006. WSU’s turnover margin took another jump, improving from -1.42 in 2014 to -0.08 in 2015 to +0.46 last season.

The Cougars will practice Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at Martin Stadium and Rogers Field. There will be one final practice on the Tuesday following the Crimson and Gray game.

EWU football

scheduled for two

appearances on Root

After making four appearances on Root Sports last season, the Eastern Washington football team is scheduled to have two of its Big Sky Conference football games televised by Root this fall.

Eastern’s Big Sky opener Sept. 23 at Montana, and the Eagles’ Nov. 18 home game vs. Portland State are slated to be televised by Root.

The complete schedule of Big Sky football games on Root Sports follows.

Sept. 23 – Eastern Washington at Montana

Sept. 30 – Weber State at Montana State

Oct. 7 – Portland State at Montana State

Oct. 14 – North Dakota at Montana

Oct. 21 – Montana State at Northern Colorado

Oct. 28 – Idaho State at Montana State

Nov. 4 – Northern Arizona at Montana

Nov. 11 – Northern Colorado at Montana

Nov. 18 – Portland State at Eastern Washington

Nov. 18 – Montana at Montana State

Idaho men to play in

Great Alaska Shootout

Despite this season still rolling on this week, Idaho men’s basketball already has plans for the next, as the Vandals will join the field for the 2017 Great Alaska Shootout.

Joining Idaho at the nation’s oldest regular season college basketball tournament, in its 40th year, will be host Alaska Anchorage, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Central Michigan, College of Charleston, Sam Houston State and Santa Clara.

The Vandals will be making their second trip to the Shootout after also attending in 1991. Dates, times and pairings for the tournament will be announced this summer. The tourney is usually held over Thanksgiving weekend.

Chiefs to pick sixth

in WHL Bantam Draft

CALGARY, Alberta — The ball did not hop Spokane’s way, so the Chiefs will remain in the No. 6 position for the WHL Bantam Draft, scheduled for May 4.

The WHL Bantam Draft Lottery was held Wednesday at the WHL Office to determine the order of the first six selections in the first round of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft.

The lottery involved the six non-playoff teams (Kootenay, Vancouver, Prince Albert, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Spokane) from the 2016-17 season. The winning team could only move up a maximum of two positions in the first round of the bantam draft.

A Prince Albert Raiders ball was drawn, meaning the Raiders will pick first overall. The Kootenay Ice will have the second selection, the Vancouver Giants will have the third selection, the Edmonton Oil Kings will have the fourth selection, the Saskatoon Blades will have the fifth selection and the Spokane Chiefs will select sixth.

The order of the second round and all other rounds will be the inverse order of final 2016-17 WHL regular season standings, meaning Kootenay will pick first in each successive round, followed by Vancouver, Prince Albert, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Spokane.