Non-League Game Most Intriguing Matchup
The regular season ends this weekend in area football. It comes mostly with a whimper, since few playoff berths are up for grabs.
In the GSL and Frontier League, the best game may be FL runner-up East Valley (6-1-1) visiting GSL champion Central Valley (8-0). EV is out of the running for the league’s one playoff berth. CV is gunning for its first undefeated season since 1974 and hopes to remain healthy and sharp pointing toward next weekend’s playoff game.
Playoff spots in the Northeast A have gone to third-ranked Chewelah (6-0, 8-0) and Lakeside (5-1, 5-3).
The Northeast B-11’s top two berths belong to top-ranked Reardan (7-0, 8-0) and fourth-ranked Davenport (6-1, 7-1). Republic (5-2, 5-3) plays at eighth-ranked Ritzville (5-2, 6-2) on Friday for the third and final spot.
Fifth-ranked Tekoa-Oakesdale (4-0, 7-1) is the Southeast B-11’s No. 1 team. Garfield-Palouse (3-1, 4-3) will snare the other berth unless it loses to Waitsburg (0-4, 1-6) on Friday and Asotin (3-1, 3-4) upsets T-O.
Second-ranked Pateros (5-0, 8-0), fourth-ranked Inchelium (4-1, 6-1) and Odessa (4-1, 6-2) are the NEB-8’s state entrants. Odessa could tie for the title Friday at Pateros.
Top-ranked Touchet (4-0, 8-0) and LaCrosse-Washtucna (3-1, 5-2) are Nos. 1 and 2 from the SEB-8. The third and final spot belongs to St. John-Endicott (2-2, 4-4) if it beats Rosalia (1-3, 2-6) on Friday.
Cheney’s reward? Prosser
Unbeaten and fourth-ranked Cheney’s reward for winning the Frontier League football championship is a first-round playoff game against 8-0 and third-ranked Prosser.
How can that be, you ask?
Although the Mustangs are the Mid-Valley League’s only unbeaten team, because the 13-team league has two divisions, it was determined prior to the season that the South champion would be No. 2.
“If we’re to do anything we have to beat Prosser anyway,” said Cheney coach Tom Oswald. “We might as well play them at home.”
The No. 1 entrant will be either Ellensburg (7-1) or Eastmont (6-2), who are tied for first with 3-1 North Division records.
Three other teams are a game behind. And three teams are tied for second in the South. All are after the third Mid-Valley state spot.
With a league title in hand, Cheney can complete a perfect season at West Valley Friday night. Oswald expects a good game even if the luster of a championship contest is off after WV was upset last week.
“Both teams get ready because it’s the nature of every sport they play,” said Oswald.
He said the Blackhawks will approach it as if it were for the championship.
“They’re darn good,” said Oswald.”We would like to win the game.”
Rams’ mental wounds heal
Riverside healed from mental wounds inflicted five weeks ago in time to beat WV.
“I think that even though we lost the last four weeks, the kids realized they actually can play in the Frontier without being thumped,” said Riverside coach Allen Martin.
A loss five games earlier to East Valley had hurt the team mentally, said Martin.”But we were inside the Cheney 20 three times without scoring,” he said, “and realized we could compete.”
Eagles star injures knee
West Valley lost more than the game at Riverside, the Eagles also lost tight end-linebacker Ty Gregorak.
He was hit at the knees after catching a 13-yard pass and flipped. It resulted in a torn medial collateral ligament and possibly the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
, DataTimes