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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

EVHS coach says he’s sticking around one more year

Steve Christilaw Correspondent

Jeff Rose decided to give the East Valley High School boys soccer program one more year.

The Greater Spokane League Coach of the Year the past two seasons indicated at the end of last year that he would step down to pursue a full-time teaching position at an area elementary school.

“There just aren’t that many openings around,” Rose said. “But this is definitely my last year coaching. I can’t sub at the elementary-school level when I have to be here by 3 p.m. for practice.”

Meanwhile, former East Valley girls soccer coach Andres Monrroy, who took over the Central Valley girls program in the fall, begins his first season as the boys coach for the Bears.

Monrroy, who teaches at CV, takes over a program with high numbers and quality soccer talent.

“I wish I could take credit for building the program,” he laughed. “We have a lot of quality talent. We just need them all to come together and become a team.”

Central Valley

Monrroy inherits a team that graduated just two seniors a year ago, meaning he has plenty of experienced players to go around. The Bears were 5-5 in league play a year ago, 7-6 overall.

Senior goalkeeper Nick Piger was a second-team All-GSL pick a year ago, as was senior defender Sam Busby. Both are in their third year on the CV varsity. Together they spearhead what should be one of the league’s best defenses – with an experienced midfield to help control the Bears half of the field.

Midfielders Andrew Keenan, a senior, and Brandon Stevens, a junior, are returning three-year varsity performers, as is senior forward Stephen Grinalds. Sophomores Matthew Levins and Trevor Delmedico, both midfielders, were varsity performers as freshmen.

“Right now, I’m just trying to get to know who I have,” the coach said. “We don’t have any holes to fill. I couldn’t have asked for anything better to step into as a new coach.”

The Bears are one of the most experienced returning groups in the GSL, and they open the league season Wednesday at home against University after a tune-up game today in Yakima.

East Valley

The Knights won the last three GSL titles behind an exceptional senior class of eight players, four of them first-team All-GSL selections a year ago, who now have graduated after leading the team into the state Class 3A quarterfinals for the first time since 1995.

A year ago the team had the league’s offensive most valuable player in Cole Abramson, the defensive MVP in Josh Peck and the coach of the year in Rose. The Knights were 9-1 in league and posted eight shutouts.

“We’re kind of starting over again,” Rose said. “You don’t replace a group like last year’s seniors. We’ve got talent to work with, but we’re going to be a different team than we’ve been the last few years.”

The problem with having a large, talented senior class – a problem most coaches would love to have – comes a year later, when there are few experienced players to build around.

So, the Knights will start the season with talent and look to gain experience as they go forward.

Junior Mat Eatock and senior Jordan Selland were key players in the EV midfield a year ago, and Rose will look to build around them.

Defenders Bruce Kehrer and Jon Olson, both seniors, and junior Eric McIntosh, were varsity players a year ago, and senior Jordan Bolster was Josh Peck’s back-up in goal.

University

The weather was not kind to start the season. The Titans opened practice in the U-Hi gym.

“We were in there for a couple days, but I finally couldn’t stand it and we went outside,” coach Kevin Houston said. “Even then, the field was like a lake that first day.

“We’ve been going twice a day to make up for it. I have them coming in at 5 a.m. and working before school, then again after school.”

The Titans were second only to East Valley a year ago, posting an 8-2 league record, and the No. 1 Class 4A seed into the playoffs.

“We graduated a lot of experienced players from last year,” coach Kevin Houston said. “We lost pretty much our whole defense.”

The Titans do return the league’s biggest goalkeeper, 6-foot-5 senior Ryan Dixon.

Also back for the Titans is junior midfielder Michael Ramos, a second-team All-GSL pick a year ago.

Senior forwards Nate Smith and Evan Frobe are experienced veterans up front who are doubly used to working together, playing together in the Spokane Shadow development program.

West Valley

Coach Dirk Linton, in his second season back leading the Eagles, graduated just one senior from last year’s team that was 4-9 in its first season in the Great Northern League.

“We have a pretty strong squad,” Linton said. “Especially in this year’s sophomore class. We have some strong seniors to go with them to provide us with good leadership, too.”

Senior Joe Buchanan is a leader in the midfield while Frank Lentini does the same at fullback.

The Eagles were shorthanded much of this past week. Between the boys basketball team playing in the state tournament and the pep band heading for Tacoma in support of both basketball teams, the numbers at practice were thin.

The team opens GNL play this week after a nonleague tune-up game Monday against Gonzaga Prep.

“We’ve talked as a league about going next year to a system where you play everyone just once,” Linton said. “If we can do that, we can open up the schedule and work in some nonleague games. That will be a plus.”