Spending two years as a professional Idaho football and basketball beat writer, sometimes blogging was a better outlet to relay information than the print product.
Here’s a full list of all of my blog posts for the Spokesman-Review, with my highlights down below.
This includes my clip of Taylor Pierce’s game-winning shot, which aired on ESPN
I have extensive experience operating social media accounts, from operating the sports blog at the University of Idaho’s student newspaper, Vandal Nation, to doing social media for soccer fan group American Outlaws and to being a part of the Seattle Times preps social media team.
Here are some examples of my work:
After the USMNT had clinched a Copa America quarterfinal match in Seattle:
After Clint Dempsey scored in Copa America:
After the USMNT draw to Portugal, leaving uncertainty if the USMNT would play in the Round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup:
A little bit of hype from one of our Facebook events:
Promoting our viewing party with UW women’s soccer:
Congratulating Brian Schmetzer on being named Sounders coach using a photo from one of our events:
Live video from our March to the Match with Jordan Morris during the Copa America match in Seattle. (Quality would be better with better phone)
Promoting the Seattle Times’ Star Times preps section:
From college, covering Idaho women’s basketball first of three conference championships over the next four years:
(From December 5, 2015, covering the season opener of the seven-time in a row state champion Colton Wildcats. Story behind paywall.)
COLTON – Don’t even bother asking Clark Vining’s group about the winning streak.
The seven-time defending state champions in Washington’s Class 1B have everybody else’s attention with their 71-game winning streak heading into this season.
But to them? Friday night’s season opener was just another night for the dynastic Colton girls’ basketball program.
To some, the long faces and blank stares may have seemed ominous.
There were no smiles. The euphoria and jubilation these guys would experience by the end of night was, at this particular moment, distant.
A handful of Lewis-Clark State players leaned atop the railing at the top of the dugout and silently stared into nothing. Others were sitting on the bench with their heads down. Some players chatted with each other, while others were off in isolation.
L-C players were allowed to choose for themselves how to use their time during a 44-minute lightning delay Friday night during the sixth inning of the Avista NAIA World Series championship game.
Trailing St. Thomas 7-3, the Warriors’ dugout seemed defeated and drained of energy.
In reality, deeper forces were at work. Perhaps, even, divine ones.
Oct. 25, 2014
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The Clarkston Bantams had no time to dwell on their most crippling mistake of the game. Instead, the offense had to go right back out on the field to start the second overtime, knotted at 13-13 against the visiting Cheney Blackhawks.
Driving for the winning score in the first overtime, junior standout running back Blake Rimmelspacher barreled his way through Cheney’s defense for a first down, except he left the ball on the ground behind him. It was scooped up by Cheney, which had missed a field goal in its first overtime possession.
March 8, 2015
NAMPA – On the far side of Idaho Center, behind one of the student sections behind the basket, is a curtained-off area where fans of the state-championship-winning teams are supposed to go to celebrate with their team while the next round of games get underway.
The IHSAA surely didn’t account for the flock of fans who made the drive from Cottonwood for the Idaho Class 1A Division I state championship game, a District II tournament final rematch between Prairie of Cottonwood and Lapwai.
Fans brushed up against the curtains and filled the area to capacity, clamoring for photos and fist-bumping, high-fiving, hugging and engaging in whatever other form of celebration exists with their newly minted repeat-champion Prairie Pirates.
Here I filled in for our regular Washington State University reporter to cover their first practice.
March 27, 2015
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PULLMAN – A collection of loud roars emerged from the west end zone inside the towering shadow of the Cougar football complex.
Senior linebacker Jeremiah Allison came away with the football during team red-zone drills near the end of practice, prompting defensive players in white jerseys to party like they’d just came away with a game-clinching fumble recovery in the Apple Cup.
Having a nose for the football isn’t just an emphasis for new Washington State defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, it’s the emphasis for the defense.
Jan 4, 2015
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MOSCOW, Idaho – While teammates were swarming and jumping on Mike Scott, the senior Vandals point guard stood stoic and glared down the basket. Moments earlier, he sniped in a 70-foot halftime buzzer beater from the Big Sky logo on the far side of the court that sent the Cowan Spectrum into a frenzy, and sent Idaho into the locker room leading by six.
The miraculous heave proved to have monumental implications as Idaho held on to defeat visiting Weber State 86-84 Saturday night at the Cowan Spectrum to finish its opening weekend of Big Sky Conference play at 2-0.
Or maybe it wasn’t miraculous. Idaho coach Don Verlin knew coming in that these are the moments that can swing games.
Jan. 29, 2015
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With the biggest opportunity of his basketball career in front of him, Mike Scott spent this last summer in the only sanctuary he knew.
It was a gym at a park just around the way from his Los Angeles home. As a teenager and even through his junior college stint at Antelope Valley College, Scott made the walk through his dangerous neighborhood to spend as many of his spare hours as he could inside the gym, working on his game, getting better.
Scott was disgusted with his junior season, his first, at the University of Idaho. Starting sparingly, he averaged 2.2 assists and 8.7 points per game.
It ate at him. So he went to the gym.
Sean Kramer 