CV girls have been the surprise team in GSL
Who would have believed that the Central Valley girls basketball team would be the only other unbeaten team approaching tonight’s Greater Spokane League game at league favorite Lewis and Clark?
“I don’t think anyone would have imagined going in our two teams both being 6-0,” said first-year Bears coach Freddie Rehkow. “But you know, when I first took over I thought we could do some good things. When we started getting out there, if we played with a high level of intensity, I felt we had a good chance.”
Last year, while the Tigers were winning their second straight 4A State title, the 5-15 Bears were suffering their first losing season since 1988. The caveat was a team that had nary a senior and included five freshmen and five sophomores. Eight of the 12 returned with invaluable experience.
CV had a favorable opening schedule following an upset win over Shadle Park – whose leading scorer Lexie Pettersen was out with an injury. Friday’s win over improved Mt. Spokane, Rehkow said, was a defining moment after the team lost half a lead that approached 20 points before winning 60-46.
“This group of girls is having a lot of fun,” said Rehkow, who spent the previous four years at East Valley and before that was a Bears assistant. “Everyone is chipping in and working hard.”
The stage is set for tonight’s game as a result, but Rehkow knows they will be heavy underdogs against LC.
“I talked with Brittany Kennedy last week at The Warehouse and told her she needed to slow down. She just laughed,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for Jim (Redmon) and the kids at LC and hope they take it easy on us. I hope we can give them a competitive game.”
Small school, big result
Lakeside, from the Northeast A League, has a well-developed wrestling reputation. Last weekend in the Tri-State tournament, the Eagles really flexed their muscles for first-year head coach Troy Hughes.
They finished third with 154.5 points, just half a point behind runner-up and defending Washington 4A champion Lake Stevens. Great Northern League 2A Deer Park was third and University fourth, both well behind Lakeside.
Lakeside’s Kyle Johnson was the 135-pound champion and teammates Reid Chivers and Dustin Baldwin took second at 189 and 215, respectively.
Chivers lost 9-8 to East Valley’s Clete Hanson.
“It was the most exciting match of the finals,” Knights coach and former Lakeside assistant Craig Hanson said. “It was the loudest. Everyone got into it. When they are local kids it makes it better.”
Lakeside also had three other top-eight placers.
By comparison, the Greater Spokane League as a whole had 19 top-eight finishers, five from University, and produced four finalists. Among them were Titans 125-pound champion and the meet’s outstanding wrestler, Brian Owen; runners-up and teammate Anthony Rivera; and Mead’s Philip Smith.
In another feature match, Auburn’s defending 3A champion Jake Swartz topped Riverside’s two-time 2A champion Ryan DesRoches, 6-3. The Great Northern League had seven placers, five from Deer Park.
Wrestling change
Wednesday’s scheduled match between East Valley and University has been postponed. It has mutually been agreed to move the match to Jan. 15, in part because of malfunctioning bleachers at EV.
“It’s kind of a crazy week,” said EV activities coordinator Joe Kostecka. “The varsity basketball teams don’t play that night, but we’ll wrestle three days in a row, then have The Gauntlet (spirit basketball game with Rogers) and have Dream Duals on Saturday.”