Jim Allen

Eastern Washington’s first home stand of the men’s basketball season ended just as it started: with a young team still aiming to improve. And if its aim had been a bit better, the Eagles might have come away winners Monday night instead of dropping a 75-69 nonconference decision to Seattle University at Reese Court.

Eastern Washington’s first home stand of the basketball season ended just as it started: with a young team still aiming to improve.

First impressions are hard to shake. For most Eastern Washington football fans, their first look at Sam Houston State came on television Friday night, as the Bearkats scratched Montana State from the FCS playoffs.

The Eastern Washington football team has all the momentum in the world, freshly seized Saturday night and ready to be carried all the way to the national title game. If only it were that simple: a high-intensity light switch that could be flicked on at will.

Another playoff game, another savvy senior quarterback coming to Roos Field. “Yeah, we just keep getting lucky that way,” said Eastern Washington defensive tackle Evan Cook, who must find a way to take Illinois State star Matt Brown out of his comfort zone in today’s FCS quarterfinal playoff game.

As injury followed insult earlier this season, Nicholas Edwards responded the only way he can: by working just a little bit harder. On Sept. 22 in the Big Sky Conference opener at Weber State, he caught a pass on the sideline and was tackled – questionably – on the sideline.

The mismatches came in all shapes and sizes Thursday night at Reese Court. Idaho dominated inside while Eastern Washington cleaned up in the backcourt in a game that fittingly came down to the final shot of overtime.

After coming this far, the Eastern Washington offense appears to have come full-circle. The Eagles struck a nice balance between the run and pass all year, then went back to the aerial game in wins over Portland State and Wagner. At Portland State in the final game of the regular season, the Eagles passed for 363 yards and rushed for exactly 0; last week in a second-round Football Championship Subdivision playoff game against Wagner, they picked up 327 yards through the air and just 84 on the ground on 38 rushes.

Ten years ago, the pocket collapsed on Luke Huard. The youngest brother of Damon and Brock, who broke their passing records at Puyallup High, was back home after a college career at North Carolina marked by injury, frustration and self-doubt. He’d been dumped by the game he loved.

Steady wins the prize. That and a lot of hard work, according to Eastern Washington offensive line coach Aaron Best, who reveled Tuesday in the selection of lineman Will Post as an All-American.