Bears coach ‘realistic’ about predictions

Don’t let Central Valley’s early wrestling result or Greater Spokane League predictions deceive, warned Bears coach John Owen.

“I’m pretty realistic, I’ve been doing this stuff long enough and I laugh at those people trying to set you up,” he said. “What I think is, it’s a crap-shoot for third place.”

He said it coming on the heels of Thursday night’s 46-25 season-opening league victory over Mt. Spokane. And he was alluding to his assertion that University and East Valley remain the GSL’s elite with everyone else hoping for a third-place finish.

Some GSL coaches had predicted the Bears to win their division of the wrestling league. But certainly the ease of East Valley’s 75-5 win over Ferris and University’s 60-16 win over West Valley was evidence of Owen’s belief.

All but one Knight victory came by pin over a badly outmatched foe. And the Titans had seven pins, a technical fall and 11 total individual triumphs against the Eagles.

There were signs in CV’s win, though, that the Bears are closing the gap. The five weights between 140 and 171 pounds looked solid against the Wildcats.

Jeff Croskrey, Lucas Chesher, Nick Walker, Camren Ebat and Nick Severns won in a succession of fundamentally sound efforts.

Chesher, at 145, and victorious Nick Cambron, at 112, were competing up in weight, as was Chase Ferrozzo, who, though pinned, wrestled gamely, only to succumb because he was outsized at 119 pounds by a thick-legged foe.

Freshman Tyler Simmet at 125 showed promise and junior Jeremy Savage took just 39 seconds to pin at 130.

Had Garrett McCoy turned out and Tanner Teeples not moved to Utah, CV would have been better able to challenge the Knights in the National Division and rival University, Owen has said.

“I have to deal with it and move on,” he said. “But people have no idea. We were going to entertain folks.”

Now Owen is not as sure the team has quite enough to contend. But he was happy with the season-opening win over the Wildcats.

“I think it’s a good start,” he said.

Bears win twice

Central Valley’s boys and girls basketball teams each won handily twice during non-league games this week.

The boys improved to 3-0 with 71-47 and 62-35 wins over East Valley (0-2) on Tuesday and Rogers on Thursday.

The girls (3-1) beat the Knights 47-31 and the Pirates 73-20.

CV’s offense got untracked in the two boys wins. Nine different players scored against the Knights, three in double figures and two others nearly so.

Nick Ambrose finished the week with 23 points on two double figures efforts. Brad Johnson scored a dozen against EV and Luke Clift had 12 against the Pirates. Matt Morgan had a 10-point game against the Knights and Brad Dieter pitched in with a near 8-point per game average during the two wins.

University of San Francisco-bound Heidi Heintz scored 41 points in two CV girls victories. She had 23 of them against the Pirates. Salena Leavitt scored 14 against the Knights (1-1), Rachel Heinen had 10 against Rogers. It was a game in which CV welcomed back of fourth-year player Sarah Gehring after missing the team’s first three,

EV, University and West Valley all played on Friday. The Eagles boys and Titan girls improved to 2-0 on Tuesday. The Knights and U-Hi boys were looking for their first wins.

Greg Bradley had three-point baskets and 17 total points as the Eagles shook pesky U-Hi 56-42. The Olson brothers, Kyle and Tyler, combined for 21 points for the Titans.

EV’s Dylan Sattin, with 14 points, and Josh Peck, with 11, led their team against CV.

U-Hi’s girls had four players in double figures, Dara Zack, Tonya Schnibbe and Kara Crisp for the second straight game, in their 77-36 win over West Valley. Olivia Parvey and Lisa Stoll combined for 20 Eagle points.

Gymnastics begins

Central Valley was a hit right out of the gate and University gave defending champion Mead all it could handle in the season opening gymnastics matches for both teams.

The Bears recorded a stunning sweep of all-around and scored 151.6 points to easily beat Lakeside, Lewis and Clark and Rogers.

Maria Alderman scored 30.925 in four events during the win, followed by Melissa Hussey, Courtney Sexton, Amanda Brantley and Maya Morgan. And Hayley Welterhus won floor exercise.

Highest scoring meet of the week was at U-Hi where Mead scored 158.25 and the Titans 153.5.

Kayla McGahey was second all around at 33.775 and won uneven bars. Janelle Hoffmeister was U-Hi’s other top-three finisher, also on bars. Mead’s all-around winner Ashley Dotson, won three events and finished second on bars.