Ferris Resting Easy After Key Freshman Regains Eligibility

The young and talented Ferris girls soccer team avoided a potentially disastrous off-the-field episode this week.

A Greater Spokane League committee ruled Wednesday that Ferris freshman Stacia Palladino is eligible to play soccer for the rest of the year.

Had the vote gone the other way, Ferris would have forfeited seven matches, said coach John Gould. The Saxons would have dropped from second place to at least seventh, damaging their playoff chances.

Palladino lives in the Freeman School District and enrolled at Ferris through the school choice program, said eligibility chairman Al Falkner of Gonzaga Prep.

Ferris apparently didn’t discover that Palladino lived outside the attendance area until one month into the season. Gould said he has heard who registered the complaint, but that it’s “hearsay.”

Ferris dropped Palladino to junior varsity while awaiting the hearing’s outcome. Falkner said Palladino was made eligible because of hardship.

“These hearings are normally before the season starts,” Falkner said. “The parents followed every condition. Our job on the eligibility committee was to look at her situation.”

Futbol numerology

There are 10 players in GSL girls soccer who have outscored one-third of the league’s teams.

Mead has outscored its rivals 40-1. The lone goal against the Panthers was a penalty kick by Ferris freshman Angela Faridnia on Sept. 11.

Gonzaga Prep has scored 33 goals and allowed four.

Thirty-four of 47 league matches (72 percent) have involved shutouts. Every team except Central Valley has had more than 50 percent of its matches end in shutouts, one way or the other.

Destiny fulfilled

Adam Morris, Mead football’s Mr. Versatility, has always wanted to run a punt back for a touchdown. Friday was finally the night - barely.

First the 5-foot-6, 166-pounder took a Colin Turnbull punt at the North Central 42 and returned it to the 1. A clipping penalty wiped out the effort.

Then, Turnbull boomed a punt over Morris’ head. Morris raced back, picked it up on the bounce at Mead’s 21 and took off down the right sideline. He broke a tackle at the 10 and finished with a 79-yard TD return. Another clip, however, pushed the Panthers back to their 23.

“I was just frustrated … ,” Morris said. “I told coach (Mike) McLaughlin today was the day. Then I was frustrated because I didn’t know if I would get another chance.”

Late in the third quarter Morris fielded a punt on the Mead 36, went down the left side, cut inside near the NC 40 and then headed back to his left. Morris made a couple of terrific moves and reached the end zone.

Letdown?

CV opened the football season with crucial wins against Lewis and Clark and Mead. The Bears kept their focus in rolling past University and Rogers. Thursday they opened a 34-7 lead in the first half against Shadle Park, then were outscored 14-0 in the second half.

A lot of the credit goes to Shadle. The Highlanders, who have had limited success passing, threw for 139 yards against the Bears. CV’s pass defense may not be weak, but it may be the only place the Bears are vulnerable.

“All I can say is I’m glad it’s over,” CV coach Rick Giampietri said after the game. “They played with a lot more emotion than we did. One thing you found out for sure is you can’t play this game without emotion. We just made mental mistakes in the second half.”

CV let down in its final game last year, missing the playoff after a 17-14 loss to winless NC. The Bears appear primed, however, for their first playoff berth since 1983.

Also Thursday, U-Hi beat Rogers 42-7 but lost outstanding linebacker/running back Jason Daniel with a broken leg.

Out of the Lutes’ loop

Keith Cooper, an assistant at Pacific Lutheran University for four years, is the new boys basketball coach at Decatur. Ed Boyce resigned last month to become a full-time assistant at Boise State.

, DataTimes