Eagle Holiday Classic Will Heat Up The Week

West Valley’s seventh annual Eagle Holiday Classic basketball tournament is one of the few high school sporting events scheduled next week.

Featured in the four-team event for both boys and girls are teams from Gonzaga Prep of the Greater Spokane League.

The tourney is next Thursday and Friday. Girls action opens at 12:45 p.m., with Bonners Ferry playing Gonzaga, followed by Post Falls-West Valley at 2:30 p.m.

Boys play begins at 6:15 p.m., with Post Falls against Gonzaga. West Valley faces Lakeside, a Northeast A League entry from Nine Mile Falls, at 8 p.m.

Consolation and championship games are Friday.

The Eagles boys team remained unbeaten at 6-0 Thursday night, beating Lakeland of Rathdrum 75-54.

A dozen Eagles scored, led by David Schillinger’s 22 points and Josh Sweet’s 12.

West Valley’s girls are 5-1, their best start in years, after edging Sandpoint 59-57 Wednesday.

Julie Bonner, the only WV senior, was one of three Eagles in double figures. She shared scoring honors with sophomore Gabrielle McClintock at 11 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. Keisha Sowers scored 10.

So much for the showdown

If there were any concerns about University’s gymnastics team, they were dispelled over the last two Greater Spokane League meets.

The Titans scored 165.7 and 167.6 points during back-to-back wins over expected challenger Ferris and two weeks into the season have built a two-match advantage.

University has beaten both Ferris and Central Valley twice and co-runner-up Mead once.

They have one match each remaining with the first two teams and two left with the Panthers.

Before the season, coach Stacey Heaton worried that her team didn’t have the scoring punch of a year ago. The high early scores are evidence her fears were unfounded.

Kim Meyers has scored 35.95 and 36.2 all-around scores, an average of 9.0 points per event.

Wednesday she won all events except vault, including a 9.5 score during floor exercise.

Teammates Coleen Pierce and Kalie Cossette have been top four all-around performers and individual event winners.

Tara Hulbert, despite an ankle injury, was second on bars and could help U-Hi approach last year’s 170.0 point totals when healthy.

Central Valley is currently in fourth place, but based on an earlier win over Mead, could yet move up.

Lindsey Linerud was fourth all-around and a top-three placer on vault and beam on Wednesday.

Wrestlers rest before busy week

The Valley’s GSL wrestlers are experiencing a two-week break before ushering in the new year with a busy week.

Upon returning to action, CV and University wrestlers will compete twice in league and also be involved in the Pacific Northwest Classic at U-Hi on Jan. 6.

That week also marks the start of Frontier League competition.

CV improved to 2-0 Thursday thanks again to Shane Cunanan and sophomore Courtney Brown.

Both won tight matches over previously unbeaten North Central wrestlers during a 33-24 victory.

In the rugged 115-pound weight class, Cunanan pulled out a 7-5 decision over Josh Bocook.

At 141, the night’s next-to-last match, Brown won 16-14 over Brian Largent to clinch CV’s win.

University failed to keep pace, dropping a 32-20 thriller at Mead, whose five wins by major decision proved the difference.

The Panthers took a 21-3 lead in the upper weights and weathered U-Hi’s comeback down low.

Mead won a pivotal match at 115 pounds between Jon Rugan and Jared Osborn and kept from getting pinned at 122 and 135 although Titans Josh Knowles and Andy Roberts remained unbeaten with easy wins.

Titans win, Bears lose

In two weeks of GSL basketball games before breaking until Jan. 3, Valley teams have met with mixed results.

Thursday night Central Valley’s girls missed an opportunity to share first place with two other teams when they were beaten 51-40 at Ferris.

Outscored 34-21 in the second half and making fewer than 25 percent of their shots, the Bears are 3-1 behind unbeatens Mead and Shadle Park.

The boys team fared poorly as well, outscored in every quarter of a 67-43 loss to drop to 2-2 in league. No CV player scored more than seven points.

University also evened its record with Erik Carlson’s 13 points and a half-court shot before intermission by Derek Wetzel helping the Titans to a 63-54 win over Rogers.

The Titan girls won their first league game over the Pirates, 47-43 with Emily Stuenkel scoring 14.

, DataTimes