Chris Derrick

1. Lakeside kicker Ryan Chicoine has given the Eagles an added dimension. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Chicoine

Jim McLachlan knows right where his teams stand for today's premier Frontier League meet at Plantes Ferry Park. McLachlan's second-ranked West Valley boys (3-0) are favored over seventh-ranked East Valley (1-1) in a three-way that includes Colville. The third-ranked WV girls (3-0), however, may have their hands full with top-ranked and defending State AA champion EV (2-0).

The lone Greater Spokane League girls soccer team to have scored off Mead this year couldn't repeat the trick on Friday. Goalkeeper Holly Vanwert registered Mead's ninth shutout, a 1-0 decision before 150 fans at Ferris that stopped the Saxons' bid for first. GSL scoring leader Stacy Clinesmith pounced on a loose ball just 1 minute into the second half and found the upper left corner for her 12th goal of the season.

Cross country Gonzaga Prep boys coach Tony Maucione began the Bullpup Invitational in 1985 to prevent too much flightiness at this time of year. Maucione saw the need for a true team meet in early October, when cross country teams are looking ahead to district and state. The SunFair invite in Yakima, right before the Bullpup, and the Richland invite, conducted the same week, are divided into flights and don't project true team scoring. The Bullpup begins at 9:30 Saturday morning at Finch Arboretum. Varsity girls run at 11, followed by varsity boys at 11:30.

The worst way to attack Gonzaga Prep's volleyball team, it seems, is to enter the fourth game of a match with a chance to win. On Thursday, for the fourth time in 10 days, G-Prep rebounded from a 2-1 deficit to beat a Greater Spokane League team. The Bullpups (8-0) maintained their perfect record, but needed to score the match's final six points for a 15-2, 13-15, 14-16, 15-10, 15-11 win at second-place Ferris (6-2).

One could say that Mead's girls cross country team was double-Crossed on Wednesday. Robyn Cross of University, an eighth-place finisher, was the runner in the spotlight as second-ranked U-Hi beat fourth-ranked Mead during a Greater Spokane League season-opener at Manito Park. Many said that Cross actually finished ninth after being caught at the finish line by Mead's Autumn Wood.

Frontier stars, from left, Angie Simmers of EV, Jeannette Zimmer of Cheney, Jennifer Rea of Clarkston and Jessica Riehle of WV all return this season. File/The Spokesman-Review

North Central football returned to NC High on Friday for the first time in 26 years. Make that 26 years and 24 minutes, because NC won't claim its first half against the Cheney Blackhawks. Cheney (2-0) blazed to a 32-0 lead before halftime and cruised to a 38-15 non-league win over the Indians (0-2).

Mead's Lynde Johnson, in front, is regarded as one of the Greater Spokane League's top seniors. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

The San Diego Padres' 12th and final team in Spokane won 30 games. The first Spokane team representing the Kansas City Royals won 36 games. So what was the difference - besides six wins - between affiliating with San Diego and Kansas City?

First-team all-leaguer Jason Schumacher returns for Inchelium. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Joe Kinch and LaCrosse-Washtucna aren't a stretch when talking about league contenders. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Brandy Barratt puts bite in the Bullpups. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Perfect weather, an attendance record and a shutout win. Such are the answered dreams of the Spokane Indians, who capped their home season on a warm September evening at packed Seafirst Stadium on Friday with a 4-0 win over Yakima. Right-hander Modesto Villarreal (8-2), the club leader in wins, pitched eight strong innings - including no walks - as Spokane (35-39) equaled its most wins since 1990.

Seniors Tyson Deal and Steve Cannon could give Davenport the upper hand. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

1. Six-foot-6 tackle Greg Rainer and his Chewelah teammates provide an experienced line. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Fullback/linebacker Greg Belzer returns for Chewelah. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Few tears spilled when Dayton left its Southeast B-11 brothers. Dayton subjected the league and every other B-11 team to sheer terror last year by putting up a 12-0 record on the way to a Kingbowl title.

Live! From Spokane! It's Thursday night! All right, so it was a bit more effective for Chevy Chase. Still, the Spokane Indians are looking to capture the attention of thousands across the nation tonight. For the first time, the Indians will appear on national television. ESPN2, cable channel 59 in Spokane and 25 in Coeur d'Alene, will do the honors, with Steve Lyons and Matt Vasgersian behind the mikes.

There are a million reasons to consider this the best Northwest League baseball season in history. For the first time, the league is on target to draw 1 million fans. With 39 games remaining, an average attendance of 3,125 would push the gate count into seven figures. League teams had averaged 3,364 per game at last count.

Blood

Sticking Joel Nations in the No. 2 spot was Al Pedrique's first clever idea. Even before Nations delivered the game-winning single in the 10th inning, however, Pedrique was seized by another inspiration. The Spokane manager sent pinch-runner Dwayne Lewis from third with two outs Friday, allowing the Indians to reach extra innings in the first place.

Mild-mannered manager P.J. Carey of Portland snapped during a frustrating stint last week with the Yakima Bears. Yakima, which has plodded along at a .400 clip this year, won three of four games from the Rockies. Carey obviously noticed that Boise, on its way to winning six of nine, was whittling Portland's Northwest League Southern Division lead. (Portland, 2-1/2 games ahead, has started a streak during which it plays Boise in eight consecutive games.) Carey tempered his anger until Yakima's Kevin Gibbs was called safe at second base on a stolen-base attempt. Most witnesses thought the throw from home plate easily beat Gibbs.

The Spokane Indians found a way to stop Johnny Hilo on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Indians, their method of slowing down Hilo was by intentionally walking him in the ninth inning. Otherwise, Hilo continued his season-long feast on Spokane. The left-handed-hitting outfielder went 4 for 4 and drove in three runs as the Yakima Bears earned a 5-3 Northwest League baseball decision at Seafirst Stadium.

The last time Emiliano Escandon had a base hit was also about the last time James Vida didn't. Both streaks ended Friday as the Spokane Indians survived a meager hitting effort in a 3-0 win over Portland at Seafirst Stadium. Hal Hodge (3-1) and Craig Sanders combined on the shutout, Spokane's second of the year. Hodge was also involved in the first, a 4-0 win over Portland (27-14) on July 12.