Call Goes Out To Fete Pullman’s Veteran Stat Man
Over the years, hundreds of Spokesman-Review sports department employees have taken thousands of calls for reports on high school sporting events.
Many callers have been great but none have been better than Ralph Bowman.
“When you take that many phone calls, it is always good to know you could depend on Ralph to call,” Spokesman-Review sports editor Jeff Jordan said. “He has been a great ambassador for Pullman High School athletics.”
Bowman has been the statistician for the Pullman Greyhounds since he graduated from the school in 1961.
Bowman will be honored at a “Salute to Ralph Bowman Night” Friday when the Greyhounds take on Chewelah in the first Greater Northern League football game.
A number of people connected to the school, as well as the mayor, will make presentations to Bowman at halftime.
Jesuit Jamboree
A Friday tripleheader of games between Bellarmine Prep and Gonzaga Prep has been cheerfully dubbed the Jesuit Jamboree.
“It’s a great opportunity for our kids to play against kids that have similar interests and attend a school similar to ours,” Gonzaga Prep athletic director Mike Arte said. “We tried to get cross country but they have a meet in Tacoma on Saturday.”
The Tacoma visitors will play a junior varsity girls soccer game at Prep at 3 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 4:30. The football game is at 7:30 at Central Valley.
The Lions will go to Mass with the Bullpups. After the competition, they’ll stay in the Prep gym and will be treated to breakfast prepared by the Bullpups boosters club before leaving Saturday morning.
The winner wins
There was some confusion among the three Northeast A schools about the football playoffs, but only because not everyone called Colfax High athletic director Tony Carter.
Only the league champion makes the playoffs, getting the league’s berth on the same side of the bracket with three Caribou Trail teams and four from the South Central.
There is no play-in game for the second-place finisher.
Around the state
The two-time defending State AAA champion Curtis Vikings lost their 4A season opener, falling to No. 4 Kentridge 42-14. It should be noted that in winning four state titles, the Vikings never went undefeated. … Lakes junior Travis Knight has his work cut out for him replacing one of the most prolific passers in Washington history. However, in his first start, Knight looked a lot like Drew Miller, hitting 20 of 29 passes for 356 yards and six touchdowns in a 40-6 win over Franklin-Pierce. … DeSales QB Brian Lindgren, who threw for 4,389 yards and 49 TDs last year, opened with 436 yards and six TDs in a 56-30 win over Mac High of MiltonFreewater, Ore. The state record for passing yards in a single game is shared by Drew Bledsoe of Walla Walla and Pat Graham of DeSales at 487 yards. … Orting suited up 23 players, started just two seniors and four juniors, but opened with a 45-14 win over Chimicum, a playoff team a year ago. … Kennewick defeated Davis 35-28 despite the absence of head coach Ted Homme, suspended for a game because he had his players in pads the first day of practice.
For Prosser’s opener against Mount Tamalpais High, the Redtailed Hawks from the Bay Area flew to Portland, bused to Prosser and lost 31-13. The Red-tailed Hawks would like the Mustangs to pay a return visit. … Tumwater, which didn’t lose a game during its four years in the Greater St. Helen’s League, has moved to the Rivers League but lost a non-league opener 28-14 to Columbia Rivers of the GSHL. … Dan Gregory was an assistant at Curtis in 1993 and ‘94 before going to Lagos, Nigeria, to teach. He is back as the head coach at Stadium..
Games of the week
The Great Northern League opens with a showdown, fourth-ranked Chewelah at fifth-ranked Pullman. Chewelah is the defending Northeast A champion, while Pullman won the Frontier League last year. Both were impressive in their openers.
Of interest, No. 2 Richland is at No. 6 Walla Walla in a crucial Big Nine game. Walla Walla could be without quarterback Jared Jones because of a preseason injury.
Until the first Associated Press poll is released after the third week of play, any rankings mentioned will be from Newberry’s Washington Prep Football Report.
, DataTimes