Prep notebook: Mt. Spokane hires David Pratt as girls basketball coach

After being fired at Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls), David Pratt said he’d be a head basketball coach again.

Whether he was being prophetic or not, Pratt will get his second chance as the Mt. Spokane Wildcats girls coach.

Pratt, 42, was selected out of four finalists. He got his foot in the door at Mt. Spokane after he was dismissed as Lakeside’s boys coach a few years ago. He assisted Dan Smith with the Mt. Spokane boys for two years and served as a women’s assistant at Whitworth the last two years.

“We liked his experience and enthusiasm,” Mt. Spokane athletic director Paul Kautzman said. “He’s a great basketball guy. He’s been there and done that. He built a quality program at Lakeside.”

In six years at Lakeside, Pratt took four teams to state including three district titles and two league championships. His overall record was 88-66.

Pratt teaches at Lakeside. Kautzman said it’s his goal to get him and recently named boys coach Dave Wagenblast, a teacher at Shadle Park, teaching jobs at Mt. Spokane, but they were tentatively just hired as coaches.

Pratt said he hasn’t had a chance to evaluate returning talent.

“They need what any coach can bring,” Pratt said. “They need great leadership, fundamental focus, bringing a team together and playing together as a team. I want to help those young ladies get to the highest level.”

Postseason

In Idaho, state tournaments are two weeks away. Spring sports conclude two weeks before they end in Washington.

• In baseball, the 4A Region I tournament begins Saturday at league champion Lakeland. In the first game, Moscow faces Sandpoint with the winner meeting Lakeland at 3.

In 5A Region I on Monday, Lake City visits Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls goes to league champ Lewiston. Both games are at 4.

• In softball, the 5A Region I tournament begins Tuesday at league champ Coeur d’Alene. Lake City takes on Lewiston and Post Falls faces Coeur d’Alene in games at 2. The winners meet at 4 in the title game with the winner advancing to state while the losers meet at the same time in an elimination game.

In 4A Region I, the tourney begins Tuesday at league champ Lakeland. Sandpoint takes on Moscow at 2 followed by the winner meeting Lakeland at 4:30.