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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Game turnovers spell week

(Posted Sept. 17) There’s no antidote for turnovers, special teams gaffe or big plays as Greater Spokane League teams learned last week. And those were the intangible tangibles that figured to determine the outcome of this year’s standings.

Ferris and Central Valley benefited from them, Lewis and Clark and Gonzaga Prep were done in by them.

Special teams kickoff returns for touchdowns of 99 and 97 yards helped the Saxons defeat the Tigers and Bears beat the Bullpups.

CV thwarted Gonzaga in other ways, recovering two fumbles and intercepting three passes. Three of the turnovers at Gonzaga’s expense were in the fourth quarter of CV’s 17-7 win.

Ferris capitalized on a bad snap and the kickoff return for nine of 19 points. That left the Saxons atop the GSL after three weeks with a 3-0 record.

University, the league’s Cardiac Kids, is right behind at 2-0 (3-0 overall). LC and CV (both 2-1) follow, with the Bullpups and Mead at 1-1 among 4A schools. Those six teams were expected to battle for three postseason berths. University has won twice in the final 15 and 41 seconds, driving 80 yards to get past Mt. Spokane on Friday.

Two big games loom, including the Titans at Gonzaga on Friday. Prep probably needs the win to stay in the picture, a U-Hi victory ties them for first place.

Mead plays East Valley (2-1), which gained an inside track among 3A teams with its 35-7 win over North Central last week. The Panthers (2-1 overall) and Knights meet at Joe Albi on Thursday.

Cross country news

(Posted Sept. 18) By now you all know of the fast times at last weekend’s Highlander Invitational, where on a new course under ideal conditions a number of athletes recorded top 10 all-time times.

But here is some other cross country news.

West Valley’s 2A Eagles competed at the South Whidby Invitational. The boys finished ninth in Division I, won by Gig Harbor. WV girls competed in Division II and finished second, led by Krystal Hughes‘ second place individual effort and a fifth by Alex Fraser.

Eisenhower’s boys, incidentally, won the Fort Steilacoom Invite and figure to be a team to reckon with in the Eastern 4A regional here this fall.