Panthers Bracing For Big Bears

In his best stand-up routine, Mead High football coach Mike McLaughlin described Friday night’s opponent from Central Valley.

“It’s a good thing we’re not playing them in the daytime,” he quipped. “Most of the time our guys would be playing in the shade.”

The two unbeatens face each other at 8:30 p.m. at Albi Stadium in a game of significance. CV’s starting offensive line averages some 250 pounds, something that concerns McLaughlin despite the Panthers’ speed.

The Bears, he said, remind him of the powerful Gonzaga Prep teams in the 1980s.

“We probably have better team speed,” he said. “If you have to run around a mountain, it doesn’t matter how fast you run around it.”

In recent years, the Panthers have won more often than not.

“We have no spell over them,” McLaughlin insists. “It’s just a matter that we’ve played well against them, and last year we just got lucky.”

Mead will have most of its injured players back in the lineup for the first time. And the Panther spread offense with receivers Adam Morris and Matt Sturm, plus running backs Larry Carnahan and Scott McGlocklin, poses a problem CV didn’t face during its win against Lewis and Clark.

“I think we’re a better offensive team than last year. We’re more comfortable with the package,” said McLaughlin.

He added that he doesn’t believe Friday night’s game necessarily has championship implications.

“The league’s been so balanced, it’s difficult to go undefeated,” he said.

Nonetheless, for this early in the season, the Mead-CV matchup offers immediate impact.

“It’s big simply because neither of us has been defeated yet,” he said. “It’s kind of too bad we have to play each other at this stage of the season.”

Highlander Invitational

This weekend’s Highlander Invitational cross country meet at Shadle Park High School will bring out the best in runners and mathematicians.

“Teams like Eisenhower and Richland will be there,” said Shadle boys coach Randy Lothspeich. “It will be a good early test and a time when everybody figures out where they stand.”

While the runners run in their age groups, coaches will be jotting down comparison times and figuring dual scores.

First race is 10 a.m. Saturday.

, DataTimes