Sandpoint’s Brock Yarbrough Headlines 64th Annual North Idaho Sports Banquet in Idaho as Six Locals Earn Top Honors
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Sandpoint High School junior Brock Yarbrough took center stage Saturday night at the 64th Annual North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame Awards Banquet, earning 6A-5A football honors and sharing the 6A-5A high school male athlete of the year award. More than 800 people gathered at The Coeur d’Alene Resort to celebrate the region’s top athletes, coaches, and competitors from the 2024-25 academic spring season and the 2025-26 fall and winter seasons.
Yarbrough, a two-sport standout, was named first-team All-Idaho in 5A football on both offense and defense and earned first-team all-league recognition in basketball — a rare double distinction that reflects the depth of athletic talent emerging from North Idaho’s Panhandle region. His recognition at the banquet placed him among the most accomplished prep athletes in the state this cycle.
Sandpoint Athletes and Coaches Dominate High School Awards
Sandpoint High’s presence at the banquet extended well beyond Yarbrough. Greg Jackson, head coach of Sandpoint swimming, shared high school coach of the year honors in 6A-5A boys sports after leading both the Bulldogs’ boys and girls programs to state swimming titles. The Sandpoint boys captured the state championship by an 82-point margin, with 11 swimmers finishing fourth or better. The team posted two first-place finishes in relays, along with a second and a fourth.
Andrew Ford, a Sandpoint freshman, shared boys swimming honors after winning the 100-meter breaststroke at the 5A State Championship in a time of 1 minute, 1.18 seconds. He also placed third in the 200 individual medley and swam on the Bulldogs’ second-place 200 medley relay team — a standout debut season for the young competitor.
Pepper Rickert, a Sandpoint junior, earned girls tennis honors after finishing the 2025 season with a perfect 24-0 record and winning the 5A girls state singles title — her second consecutive state championship in as many seasons of varsity competition.
Maverick Gomez, a Sandpoint senior, received 6A-5A track and field honors. After recording the second-fastest 100-meter dash in school history during the state semifinals in 2025 — only to be disqualified in the final — Gomez responded by winning the 200-meter dash in a school-record time of 21.94 seconds, a comeback performance that underscored his resilience.
Representing Priest River, Palmer Coleman, a 2025 Priest River High graduate, earned 4A-3A golf honors. As a senior, Coleman shot rounds of 78 and 74 at the state tournament to finish fourth overall in 3A competition. At the district level, he fired a 1-over-par 73 to win by seven shots — a dominant district performance that capped a strong prep career. North Idaho’s young athletes continue to demonstrate excellence that extends well beyond the region, as highlighted in a recent feature on North Idaho’s young professionals honored at 40 Under 40.
University of Idaho Teams and Hall of Fame Inductees Also Recognized
The banquet also shone a spotlight on collegiate achievement. Hope Hassman of the University of Idaho women’s basketball program was named college female athlete of the year after averaging 14.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and leading the team with 143 assists. The Vandals, under head coach Arthur Moreira — named college female coach of the year after being unanimously chosen Big Sky Coach of the Year — won both the Big Sky regular season and conference tournament titles, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. The Idaho women’s basketball program was also named team of the year, posting 24 regular-season victories and 17 conference wins, both program records.
On the men’s side, Idaho offensive lineman Nate Azzopardi, a first-team all-Big Sky selection who started every game, was named college male athlete of the year. Idaho men’s basketball coach Alex Pribble earned college male coach of the year honors after guiding the Vandals to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990.
Four individuals were inducted into the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame during the ceremony: former Lewiston High and University of Idaho football standout Jake Scott, longtime college football assistant coach AJ Christoff, and longtime officials Roger Stewart and Corky Fazio.
The fifth annual Duane Hagadone High Character Award — named after the founder of the North Idaho Hall of Fame — was also presented. The award recognizes student-athletes who excel academically, demonstrate outstanding work ethic and integrity, and display sportsmanship in all areas of life. Former Lake City High basketball player Blake Buchanan, who averaged 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for Iowa State while helping the Cyclones reach the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, received the Continued Outstanding Athletic Performance After High School Award.
What Comes Next
The North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame banquet has recognized regional athletic excellence for 64 consecutive years, and this year’s ceremony once again demonstrated the breadth of talent across Bonner County and the broader North Idaho Panhandle. With several of Saturday’s honorees still in their freshman or junior seasons — including Ford and Yarbrough — the banquet’s next edition is expected to once again feature Sandpoint and North Idaho athletes competing for top honors. Community members interested in future Hall of Fame nominations or banquet information can follow announcements from the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame organization. For additional coverage of statewide sports and community recognition events across Idaho, visit