Briefs: Coopman to play 2 sports for San Diego Mesa
Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
Flathead quarterback Eli Coopman (6) picks up yardage on a run in the first half against Great Falls at Legends Stadium on Friday, Aug. 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Eli Coopman, a senior at Flathead High School, announced last week that he has committed to play baseball and football San Diego Mesa.
He posted the news on Instagram, with an illustration of him wearing both uniforms with the Olympians under the word “Committed.”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the support from my family, coaches and teammates who have helped every step of the way,” he wrote.
Coopman played quarterback for the Braves last fall, throwing for 1,089 yards and seven touchdowns and running for 727 yards and 9 TDs. The lefthander spent last summer playing baseball for the Northwest Bison out of Spokane.
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Junior Ref Clinic set for April 11
Prospective young basketball officials are invited to register for the 127 Sports Intensity Junior Ref Clinic set for April 11 in Fairfield.
Students in grades 6-12 are invited to this basketball-only official training, with the goal of preparing students to officiate youth, junior high and high school games.
Spots are limited to 35 and cost is $40. Students who officiate games can earn pay or opt for community service hours instead. The clinic is not just aimed at addressing the shortage of game officials, but also at teaching communication, confidence and staying composed under pressure—skills that carry over to school, sports, and future jobs.
To register, go to KidsRefNow.com.
Griz fill out defensive staff
The University of Montana Grizzlies filled out their defensive staff Monday with the addition of three assistants, all by way of Eastern Washington: Eric Sanders, Wes Nurse and Jaylen Johnson.
Sanders had already been reported as head coach Bobby Kennedy’s defensive coordinator, after three seasons in the same position at EWU. He’ll also coach linebackers.
Johnson will be defensive line coach and Nurse will coach the safeties.
Sanders coached linebackers alongside Kennedy at Stanford from 2020-22.
Nurse spent four seasons coaching Eastern Washington’s cornerbacks. He came to EWU from Carroll College, where he was defensive coordinator; he also had two stints coaching at UC Davis.
Nurse played safety at Boise State, twice earning All-WAC first-team honors. He began coaching at BSU under Dan Hawkins and Chris Petersen and worked alongside current UM offensive coordinator Brent Pease in 2006-07. He was EWU the last two seasons.
Last Thursday Kennedy announced Dominic Daste was coming back to UM as running backs coach. Daste coached several position groups with the Griz from 2003-09.