Let’s Create Basketball Event Around Holiday

Dreams often fuel the fires that make high school athletics special.

They begin in the mind, where last-second jump shots, touchdown passes or bottom-of-the-ninth home runs bring imaginary crowds to their feet to cheer conquering heroes.

They are kept alive on the playgrounds, where youngsters gather for endless hours of fantasy and practice.

Somewhere along the line, reality steps in to place limits on the dreams, and the dreamer no longer dreams of being the next Michael Jordan but instead imagines swishing the clutch free throw at the Coliseum.

Still, dreams live on.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that also lives on. It takes much more practice for his dream to become reality.

Now is the time to investigate putting those two dreams together.

In an effort to draw more attention to what King’s dream stands for, the Greater Spokane League should consider playing basketball on Martin Luther King Day.

We envision all the GSL basketball players and coaches walking in the King Day parade then playing four games at the Coliseum, all boys games one year, all girls the next.

Games could begin at 1, 3, 6 and 8 p.m., with a break in the middle to honor the memory of King with the winners of the I Have a Dream essay and poster contests and a reading of King’s famous message.

All children under 12 would be admitted at no charge. They would have the opportunity to be inspired to participate by the high school athletes, as well as by King’s legacy.

Adults who have the day off would have the chance to have their spirit moved by the warmth of King’s message as well as see eight of the nine GSL teams.

The Tuesday after could be another Coliseum quadrupleheader matching the boys or girls teams that didn’t play the previous day, providing another chance for the casual fan to see most of the GSL schools.

True, there are hurdles to overcome. But in the spirit of King, they can be overcome.

It’s not just a dream.

Halfway

The GSL crossed the half-court line of its 16-game schedule and shockingly, the league is just about what the coaches predicted.

Tuesday night, the girls played an amazing slate of games. The teams tied for first (Mead-Shadle Park), third (Ferris-University) and fifth (Central Valley-Gonzaga Prep) squared off.

On the boys side, the three teams out of the playoffs with 2-6 records are a win away from being tied for fifth.

Coaching kudos

There are many candidates for the halfway Coach of the Year honors.

For the boys, the master, Wayne Gilman, has Ferris tied for second, despite returning no starters from last year’s state championship team, and U-Hi’s Jay Humphrey has the lightly regarded Titans clinging to a playoff spot. If both play out the string that way, it’s a tough vote. And that is leaving out Terry Irwin, who has an inexperienced CV team in fourth place.

On the girls side, CV’s Dale Poffenroth has been very patient with an extremely young team. The Bears put a scare into all of the top four before losing and have managed to look like a playoff team that could be dangerous with eight more games of experience to come.

Most Valuable Players

An extremely tough call considering no boys or girls stand head-and-shoulders above the competition. In some cases, coaches might be hard-pressed to pick the MVP on their own team.

It becomes a little clearer if you tie team success to the player and try to gauge how good that team would be without that certain player.

In all likelihood, Ferris would not be tied for second if not for Scott Stocum. The 6-foot-4 junior center has led the team in scoring every game except for the two league losses and Gilman doesn’t have a consistent offensive threat to pick up the slack if Stocum is stopped.

An argument could certainly be made for 6-4 Mead senior Jason Smith, but when he battled Stocum to a draw in the Panthers’ win, Damian Long came up with 22 points.

Also, LC’s 6-6 junior center Paul Mencke has scored in double figures every game and is probably doing the same in rebounds, but unlike Ferris, the Tigers can turn to Mike Homer and Soren Olson.

For the girls, it comes down to Kelly Bartleson and Stacy Clinesmith.

Anyone who saw the Mead-Shadle Park game Tuesday knows they are talented and invaluable, but it is easier to imagine the Panthers finding a way to replace Clinesmith. So, Bartleson gets the vote.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Dave Trimmer The Spokesman-Review