Greg Lee

Sandpoint title bound?

Mike Mitchell did a couple of significant things when he took over as head football coach for the Sandpoint Bulldogs four years ago. First, he changed the ring tone on his cell phone to “Who Let the Dogs Out?” – that little tune that I suspect will become as cliché at sporting events as “Louie, Louie” someday.

Sandpoint in title game

KENNEWICK – A funny thing happened to the Pullman volleyball team on its way to a sweep in the State 2A championship match Saturday. Archbishop Murphy refused to be swept. In fact, the Wildcats extended the final to five sets before the Greyhounds finished what they had started at the Toyota Center with a 25-22, 25-21, 19-25, 20-25, 15-12 victory.

Pullman captures state title

Mt. Spokane takes second

Mt. Spokane, Pullman vie for titles

KENNEWICK – Mt. Spokane and Pullman took different routes Friday as both advanced to the semifinals of the State 3A and 2A volleyball tournaments, respectively. Mt. Spokane survived a slow start to top Capital 18-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-11 in the quarterfinals at the Toyota Center.

KENNEWICK – The track record through all the state tournament – all postseason, for that matter – were sweeps by the Mead volleyball team. The No. 1-ranked Panthers not only expected to capture the State 4A championship Friday evening, they thought it might come the same way their previous eight postseason victories had come.

Down two sets, Mead rallies

KENNEWICK – The track record all state tournament – all postseason for that matter – were sweeps by the Mead volleyball team. The No. 1-ranked Panthers not only expected to capture the State 4A championship Friday evening, they thought it might come the same way their previous eight postseason victories had come. Improbable doesn’t begin to describe what transpired at the Toyota Center, though. Down two sets and trailing 20-12 in the third, Mead somehow found a way to pull off a comeback, knocking off the Curtis Vikings 23-25, 25-27, 26-24, 25-23, 15-12. It was the seventh straight title by a Greater Spokane League team and sixth this decade by Mead, seventh overall.

Mead advances to title match

Mead’s plan to vault back to the top of the State 4A volleyball heap and continue the Greater Spokane League’s stranglehold on the championship got off to a fast start Thursday. The No. 1-ranked Panthers swept their first two opponents, cruising past outmanned Tahoma 25-15, 25-13, 25-12 and breezing by Olympia 25-9, 25-16, 25-12 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

Mead moves into semifinals

The forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain or snow Friday night. That has Coeur d’Alene football coach Shawn Amos smiling. Coeur d’Alene (7-3) plays host to third-ranked Eagle (9-1) in a State 5A semifinal Friday at 7.

If the Mt. Spokane volleyball team challenges for a state championship, it will be because of something that’s been the Wildcats’ strength all season. “We’ve got depth,” Mt. Spokane coach John Reid said. “There’s not just one player that a team has to focus on.”

If the Mead volleyball team captures another state championship next week, it will happen because of the Panthers’ diversity. With more than half a dozen players piling up key statistics, the Panthers captured their eighth 4A regional championship with a 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 win over defending state champ Lewis and Clark Saturday afternoon at Mead.

Coeur d’Alene left no doubt which football team was better the second time around. The Vikings, losers of two straight to end the regular season, redeemed themselves with a 38-14 win over Lake City in a State 5A playoff opener Friday before an estimated crowd of 3,000 at LC.

Sandpoint drills Middleton

Coeur d’Alene left no doubt which football team was better the second time around. The Vikings, losers of two straight to conclude the regular season, redeemed themselves with a 38-14 win over Lake City in a State 5A playoff opener Friday before an estimated crowd of 3,000 at LC. Coeur d’Alene (7-3) will play host to third-ranked Eagle (9-1) in a semifinal next Friday at 7 p.m. Eagle handled Rocky Mountain 35-17. In the other openers, No. 1-ranked Capital (10-0) downed Mountain View 38-13 and defending state champ Highland (8-2) stopped Idaho Falls 34-26.

Coeur d'Alene takes rematch

They were 0 for September. Heck, they were 0 for the first half of the season. I’ve heard several people the past few days ask a rhetorical question. Something like this: How can a football team with a losing record like Lake City be in the state playoffs?