Goal Oriented City, West Plains High School Soccer Squads Prepare To Scramble For Bragging Rights

Soccer

Although the Gonzaga Prep soccer team lost the bulk of last season’s starting 11, the term “rebuilding year” doesn’t mean a thing to coach Christian Birrer.

He recalls his teams from two and three years ago. Both were young - “people called them rebuilding years” - but still placed second in state in 1995 and third in 1994.

“Last year was supposed to be the year you wait for, but we got knocked out in regionals,” Birrer said. “You never know when you’re going to have your best chemistry.”

Lingering snow up at Hart Field set the stage for the first spring sports compromise at Lewis and Clark. With its regular practice field still covered in white, the Tiger soccer team was splitting time with the baseball team on the diamond.

“They were nice enough to let us use it,” said LC head coach Arde Khoei. “After all, they hold the bats.”

Khoei’s team finished fourth last year, but despite graduating six players, he has hopes of bettering that in a league that looks to be overall improved.

“We were deeper last year, no doubt about that,” he said. “But I think we’ll have a better sense of team.” After a successful season with the girls last fall, first-year Ferris coach Robin Crain hopes to improve on the Saxon boys’ seventh-place finish a year ago.

“It seems like we have a lot of depth,” Crain. “It was really tough to make varsity this year.

“There are a lot of good players on JV just because we didn’t have the varsity spots.”

Even before the season started, injuries took their toll at G-Prep. First-team all Greater Spokane League selection Jud Druffell, a center midfielder, and defender Matt Ray are both expected to miss most or all of the 1997 season with knee and shoulder injuries.

Softening the bad news for Bullpups fans will be the return of second-team all-leaguer Ryan Wittstruck, who coach Birrer calls “far and away the best goalie in Spokane.”

Mike Edmonds, a junior midfielder from the South Hill, helps round out a varsity team that Birrer will hold at a relatively small 15 members this year.

When Lewis and Clark coach Khoei sizes up the rest of the league this year, he sees something of a shift in the balance of power.

Natural rival Ferris, with its strong midfield, will be good, but University and Central Valley also have plenty of depth.

“This year, the GSL is going to be different,” Khoei said. “It’s very unpredictable.”

All-GSL defender Jon Guenther leads the Tiger seniors, along with marking back Levi Rowse, marking back Joe Dauer, striker Dan Thompson and forward Chris Kapek.

Seven juniors provide the bulk of the LC varsity lineup. They include sweeper Casey Johnson, halfback John Harnetiaux, stopper Dale Simmons, halfback Andrew Auffant, defender Martin Strasser, and halfback Yonnas Jesfari, a transfer from North Central.

At Ferris, striker spots still haven’t been nailed down yet, coach Crain said. After playing well in practice, senior Pat Hull may anchor the Ferris offense.

With the initial uncertainty up front, Crain is looking for leadership from his midfield.

There, juniors Abbis Faridnia, Ryan Reed and Mike Jones are joined by sophomore Matt Brown. Billy Sleeth, also a junior, played varsity last year and will join the soccer team once the Ferris basketball team returns from the state tournament.

Defenders Tom Ghezzi and Eric Blatt, both juniors, and sophomore goalkeeper Jonathan Meyers hope to make life tough on opposing offenses. Tommy Servine, the team’s rangy goalkeeper of a year ago, is also expected to return after basketball is finished.

On the West Plains

A master of diplomacy, Cheney coach Mark Belstad picks East Valley to win the Frontier League.

Judging from the fortunes of league champions the past three post-seasons, however, finishing behind them might not be such a bad thing. Belstad half-seriously explained that since the league started its current district playoff format three years ago, not one champ has been to state.

The Blackhawks finished fourth last year, won at districts, and ended up losing in the first round of the State AA tournament to the eventual champs.

Over at Medical Lake, consistency seems to be in season. Coaches rave about it. Some teams have it.

After alternating back and forth between good games and bad games last season, the Cardinals want it.

“We’ve just got to believe we can win every game,” said Cardinal coach Zane Higgins. “I think we definitely have a shot to be up there, especially with all the returning seniors.”

Despite nine varsity returners, Belstad’s Cheney team is still young. He expects 10 underclassmen to see playing time.

Bentley Wolfe and Travis Skeman, both marking backs, are the only two returning seniors. A passel of juniors, including midfielders Billy Dennstaedt, Nick Reynolds, Paul Malasani and Tyler Stitt, marking back Tim Donnelly and forward Ryan Walker, make up the core of the team.

Forward Jamie Lazares, midfielder Eric Meyer and midfielder Ian Anderson all saw time last year as freshmen.

Medical Lake is senior heavy this season, something Higgins hopes will help the team improve on last year’s fifth-place finish.

Senior goalie Jason Denman heads up a strong upperclassmen lineup that includes sweeper John Hammer, forward Andy John, midfielder Mike Johnson, forward Carlos Simmons and defender Matt Steele.

Brandon Bowman, a junior midfielder, is expected to be one of the team’s strongest players. He is joined in the middle by sophomore Jeff Wendt and junior Josh Reyef as well as sophomore Kris Otlewski in the defense.