Three Glacier athletes sign letters of intent

Three Glacier athletes, basketball center Ryan Edwards and golfers Ryan Porch and Logan Iverson, signed letters of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA early signing period.

Edwards, a 7-foot center for the Wolfpack basketball team, has signed with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga University, in Spokane.

“I just really liked the coaching staff and the school overall and just the atmosphere on campus,” Edwards said.

The big man averaged 12.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots per game, leading the Wolfpack to the top seed in the Western AA in his junior campaign.

“Obviously he brings size, but he also brings a great work ethic,” Glacier coach Mark Harkins said. “He’s put a lot of time into our program to make not only himself better but our team better.”

He plans to be even better this season after working with a trainer over the summer to increase his strength and conditioning.

“It really helped my overall ability,” Edwards said. “I feel a lot lighter. I can jump and do a lot more quick moves. It’s definitely going to benefit me this year.”

Edwards joins a program that has made the NCAA tournament each of the last 13 seasons and is ranked No. 19 in the nation. The Bulldogs have a tremendous young backcourt and have sent a number of big guys to the NBA, most recently center Robert Sacre to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Ryan is a big guy that has great hands and a really good skill set ... It’s hard to find a guy who is 7-foot with good hands and a soft ball,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said in a press release.

Edwards is the first basketball player from Glacier to sign with a major program.

“It’s way cool,” Harkins said. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m really proud of what he’s done. I’m really happy for him to get that type of recognition.”

Logan Iverson signed to play golf at Colorado State University. Iverson finished third at the state tournament with a

two-day total of 146, but was one of the leaders that helped the Wolfpack to an overwhelming victory in the team title.

Ryan Porch, who signed to play golf at the University of Idaho, was the other head of that leadership team, finishing fifth with a 148 after leading on the first day.

The two golfers combined to win nearly every tournament this season.

“I just can’t say enough about the two kids,” Glacier golf coach Rob Logsdon said.

“They’re great kids. They do everything right, they treat people right. They’ll be great players for those two teams. I can’t say enough about them. They’re just great young men.”

Iverson, who plans on majoring in business, said the atmosphere in Fort Collins fits him well.

“I liked the coaching staff a ton,” Iverson said. “They have great indoor facilities and the weather’s not too bad down there.”

Iverson also competed on the football team, seeing minutes in the defensive backfield after the golf season ended, and should be one of the key players on Glacier’s basketball team this winter. Once spring comes back, it’ll be back to golf.

“Once the snow melts I’ll be practicing every day,” Iverson said. “(CSU’s coaches) are big into lifting and staying in shape so I’ll be doing that all throughout the winter and spring. Coach is going to send me some tournaments he wants me to play in to get me ready for college.”

Porch said he enjoyed the small town vibe of Moscow and the fantastic golf in the area.

“It really suits my eye down there,” Porch said. “They have a good practice facility and I like everyone on the team.”

The two are in a line of fantastic golfers to leave the Glacier program, highlighted by Iverson’s older brother Larry, who is a senior at the University of Washington.

“(Coaching them) makes your job pretty easy,” Logsdon said. “You just don’t get that opportunity very often, if ever, coaching golf.”