Alumni Will Be Watching As Titans Defend Perfect Record
The Central Valley Bears are all that stand in the way of a perfect Greater Spokane League wrestling season for the University Titans.
And CV officials are inviting all area alumni of the two programs to be in attendance when the Bears host the Titans next Thursday.
“We want to honor the alumni,” said CV activities coordinator Jay Rydell. “When they arrive they will check in and put information on a card, get a name tag, and we will introduce them during the match.”
University has compiled a perfect 7-0 record and clinched no worse than a tie for its firstever GSL championship.
For the Bears it has been feast or famine during a 4-2 season, good for fourth place in league. Although losing back-to-back to Rogers and Mead, CV has averaged 49 points per victory.
CV hosts Gonzaga Prep the night before its season-ending match against the Titans.
The idea of honoring the alumni came to Rydell at last year’s match between district rivals.
“All the guys who had graduated kept coming up and asking how things were going,” said Rydell. “I thought, ‘Gee. Maybe we ought to try and honor them in some way.”’
On the verge of the school’s first championship, U-Hi beat Ferris 48-12 and North Central 41-21 during the week. The Bears battered Lewis and Clark 50-9.
Frontier title match a week ago
They may not have known it at the time, but when East Valley beat West Valley a week ago it was not only for local bragging rights but likely for the Frontier League wrestling championship as well.
Defending champion Colville lost twice, including to the Eagles 30-22 on Thursday. It cleared the way for unbeaten East Valley to win its fifth Frontier title in six years.
“I’m positive it was (for the title),” said Eagle Coach Bill Bauman. “They probably have it sewn up.”
The Eagles, he said, wrestled well against Colville, including Aaron Lehinger’s comeback from a thirdround 8-6 deficit at 115 pounds, Brandon Frisch’s victory at 108 in only his third varsity match and Josh Castor’s match deciding pin at 275.
“He asked how he could avoid being on the bottom against a kid that big and I told him to take him down and pin him,” said Bauman. “He did.”
EV is in Colville Thursday for its season finale and a win would give first-year coach Mark Perry his initial title as a Knight.
The Eagles finish up in Cheney Tuesday and Clarkston Thursday. With victories they would finish now worse than second in Bauman’s first year as coach.
Titan gymnasts after unbeaten year
Leader University and runner-up Central Valley complete the Greater Spokane League gymnastics season with the Titans’ unbeaten record at stake.
The Titans are 18-0 and Kim Meyers has won all six all-around titles this year. The Bears are 16-2, both losses coming to University.
The Titans won by 3.2 points when first they met and by just .85 of a point in their second meet. With Angie Giroux back at full strength with two successive all-around wins, CV has the firepower to challenge.