If The Stinky Sneaker Fits, You Have Bragging Rights
It’s time to bring out the Stinky Sneaker again.
Central Valley travels to University Friday to begin the second round of Greater Spokane League basketball competition and see on which foot the shoe fits.
The Stinky Sneaker is one of four spirit games pitting rival schools against each other. They are guaranteed to pack the house with color and noise as well as basketball.
And as fate - and the schedule maker - would have it, Friday night is rivalry night all the way around.
While the Titans host the Bears in girls and boys games beginning at 6:15 p.m., East Valley is at West Valley for boys and girls games beginning at the same time.
It ends the first round of Frontier League competition and is a preview of the EV-WV Golden Throne game which will be Feb. 17.
Central Valley missed a golden opportunity to share second in the GSL, a game out of the lead, when it lost to Rogers last Friday.
University is part of a five-team fifth-place knot.
The Titan girls gave unbeaten Mead fits before losing for the second time and now must face a CV team moving up in the standings.
West Valley remained undefeated in the boys league with a pair of weekend victories. WV’s girls lost twice and the Knights have yet to win a boys or girls league game.
“We’re surviving,” said Eagle Coach Joe Feist after David Schillinger had a pair of 23-point games during victories over Colville and Cheney. “People are trying to beat him up physically but he’s handling it.”
The Eagles forced eight Colville turnovers in a row after trailing 16-14 to score 11 straight points during the second quarter of their game.
Three straight three-point baskets in the third quarter put WV in front by its final 16-point victory margin.
The next night the team scored the last six points of the second quarter and last seven of the fourth to rally past Cheney.
“We’ve always been kind of a flurry team, we tend to score in bunches,” said Feist. “Anytime you go out there and come out with a win, it’s a good win.”
As for the game against rival East Valley, Feist said that any team is capable of winning, that you have to play them one at a time and worry only about yourselves.
Unless it is a spirit game, like Friday’s Stinky Sneaker.
Sitting atop the world
In the topsy turvy Northeast A League basketball, Freeman is sitting on top of the world.
Two wins last weekend have left the Scotties tied for first place with Riverside as part of a taut five-team league race.
Only one game separates the five with Freeman currently at 7-2 and into the second-half of the NEA schedule.
“Before the season started we looked at the standings board and everyone (on the team) was unanimous in saying we could beat any team,” said Coach John Nelson. “Everyone in league on a given night can beat you. The coaches echoed the same thing at our meeting and it is proving to be true. Obviously we like our position.”
Last week the Scotties won a big game against injury-plagued Medical Lake 82-65, outscoring the Cardinals 25-11 in the fourth quarter.
“It was a very fast-paced game for us,” said Nelson. “Our kids seem to play up to that kind of speed this year.”
Successful offensively at attacking the basket, Freeman kept the pressure on Medical Lake to respond.
“We played our best defense during the quarter,” said Nelson. “It was a matter of trying to break their shooting rhythm and that happened.”
The next night the team held off Colfax on the road.
“The players were physically tired but mentally really wanted to win to prove themselves and put them at the top,” said Nelson.
With five players scoring in double figures against Medical Lake and three doing so at Colfax, including Travis Goldsmith, Justin Miller and Nick Schuerman, Freeman has done just that.