Undefeated South Hill rivals to meet
Greater Spokane League football standings were thrown into a cocked hat just two weeks into the season when Lewis and Clark and Ferris won minor surprises to remain undefeated and move atop the standings with 2-0 records, one-half game ahead of Gonzaga Prep and University (both at 1-0).
That made an already important game between the South Hill rivals, Friday 8:30 p.m. at Joe Albi Stadium, loom much larger.
Adding cachet is the fact that Tigers coach Tom Yearout and first-year Saxons coach Jim Sharkey roomed together one summer while completing their degrees at Washington State University.
“That summer we played a lot of golf and were on the same softball team,” Sharkey reminisced. “It was a fun time.”
His Saxons overcame their own mistakes to beat East Valley 24-17 in overtime. Punting late in the game, long-snapper sophomore Andrew Weigand sent the ball short and it bounced by punter Jared Karstetter, who fell on the ball at his 1-yard-line instead of letting it roll into the end zone for a safety. EV scored for a 17-14 lead with 1:10 left.
Both Weigand and Karstetter made up for the gaffes. In overtime, Karstetter caught a fourth-down pass from Shawn Stockton to keep the drive alive. Weigand scored the winning touchdown on third down and 24 yards to go, his lone catch of the game.
Now come the the Tigers who were turnover free (compared to the 14 among Ferris, EV and Mead) in their 21-6 win over the defending champion Panthers.
Ferris must run the football better, Sharkey said, and hold onto it in the first half, where in two games all eight of its turnovers have come.
“We had a lot of unknowns and two games doesn’t tell a lot,” he said. “But I’m happy to be 2-0 and not 0-2.”
Good week for Yearouts
Not only did Tom Yearout coach LC to victory in a defining early-season game, but his wife, Julie, and her Tigers volleyball team celebrated a milestone. They defeated three-time defending state champion Mead in a non-league match, winning in five games after leading two games to zero.
“Nobody on this team has ever beaten Mead,” Julie wrote in an e-mail. “I know they have a different team (eight new players), but it’s huge for our confidence.”
Mead went 6-0 and beat Richland for the Walla Walla Invitational title over the weekend and Ferris won all six of its matches, beating Inglemoor for the championship of the Puget Sound/Adidas Invitational at Auburn Mountain View HS.
Defending 2A champion Pullman captured the SunDome Volleyball Festival compiling a 6-0 pool record and topping Tumwater 25-23, 25-21 in the semifinals and Othello 25-17, 25-13 in the championship.
One week until countdown
Great Northern League football teams have one more week of non-league play before the anticipated new league begins. Pullman, Colville and West Valley continue to impress all improving to 2-0.
The Greyhounds rolled up 39 first-half points in a 46-6 win over Moscow. The Indians’ 28-20 win over Lakeland came against a team that had not allowed a point in two previous games. The Eagles scored four second-half touchdowns and finished with 418 yards of offense in a 41-15 win at Stevensville (Mont.).
So what’s the advantage?
Dropping into the Northeast A League was no advantage for Lakeside and Chewelah football teams.
Colfax won last Friday 35-11 in Chewelah. Kettle Falls topped visiting Lakeside 33-14. Both improved to 2-0.
Broncos on rebound
Lind-Ritzville, finished fourth behind Liberty in the Northeast B-11 League a year ago. In their season opener, Justin Whitney was unstoppable (242 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 21 carries) and the Broncos beat the Lancers 24-14.
Score of the week
Garfield-Palouse 46, LaCrosse-Washtucna 18. Thus, emphatically, ends the Wildcats state record winning streak at 49 games.