Mike Vlahovich

West Valley's seventh annual Eagle Holiday Classic basketball tournament is one of the few high school sporting events scheduled next week. Featured in the four-team event for both boys and girls are teams from Gonzaga Prep of the Greater Spokane League. The tourney is next Thursday and Friday. Girls action opens at 12:45 p.m., with Bonners Ferry playing Gonzaga, followed by Post Falls-West Valley at 2:30 p.m.

Star Olson goes up for two of her game-high 18 points in a win over Kellogg Wednesday night. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

1. Magart 2. Rebecca Magart, right, regularly faces male opponents when she steps on to the mat for Deer Park. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Basketball wins by University over Central Valley have been few the past decade. Until Friday, the last one came nearly three years ago. Defense carried the Titans to last week's victory over the rival Bears and it came at an opportune time. University was reeling from a bad first quarter and Greater Spokane League season-opening setback against Gonzaga Prep. The Bears, meanwhile, had won their GSL opener in overtime over Lewis and Clark. "It was a big relief for our kids," said U-Hi coach Jay Humphrey of the 46-39 win that was a nail-biter until the final 10 seconds. Everything University did was prefaced by "yabbut," he said, as in "yeah, but - you can't beat CV. "Now we know we can win those." The game was brilliantly played defensively by both teams, with Titan Ryan Massey entrusted the job of harassing CV scoring leader Corby Schuh. "I was pleased with Ryan's defense on him," said Humphrey. "Even though Corby got 17 points, they were a tough 17." And Schuh couldn't get any offensive help. No other Bear scored more than seven points, the team shooting a cold 14 for 39. "When you look at their scoring, everybody played well defensively," said Humphrey. U-Hi didn't shoot any better, but got off nine more attempts, thanks to Craig Allen's 14 rebounds, and had three players in double figures. Joe Jeffries hit two clutch three-point shots and led the team with 11, after coming off a bad game against Gonzaga Prep. Injured post Erik Carlson and Kelly Hineman each scored 10. And Hineman's bold move for a basket with the Titans leading by four points and less than a minute remaining gave the team an advantage tough to overcome. "The thing I'm encouraged about is (that even with the win), we can play better," said Humphrey. CV girls use pressure to prevail Central Valley's full court pressure forced 31 turnovers and it spelled the difference in its victory over University. Trailing 10-9 after a quarter, the visiting Bears ran off eight straight points and ultimately led by 14 points at halftime. A 9-2 run late in the third quarter kept CV unbeaten. Crystal Lee scored 14 points and Carrie Sanders 11 for CV. Syd Perno led U-Hi with 13. Just another Eagle victim Highly-touted Kellogg figured to give West Valley a test on the Idaho school's home court. Instead, the Wildcats became just another victim for the Eagles. Coupled with victory the following night over Sandpoint, WV remained unbeaten after five games and the Eagles are home tonight. Next Thursday and Friday they host their annual Holiday Classic. A quarter of the way through the season David Schillinger is averaging 25 points per game, and three others - Austin Gerrells, Josh Sweet and Joe Bonner - are averaging 10 points or better. Last weekend marked the return from injury of Ty Gregorak who helped the Eagles to the 80-58 win over Kellogg and 61-52 win over Sandpoint. Lose one, gain one West Valley's girls basketball team, despite the loss to injury this year of high-scoring junior Dawn Salfer, has been an exceptionally high-scoring team. While running their record to 4-1, the Eagles last week scored 146 points in two games, beating Kellogg and Lakeland. Keisha Sowers has been the main gun, averaging 16.4 points per game in the five Eagle games.

Shane Yackel, second from right, and Rick Giampietri, right, listen to coach Rick Giampietri at practice. Yackel is wrestling at 168 pounds this year. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

If nothing else, Mead wrestler Joel Edminster has a flair for the dramatic. The Panther senior kept his coaches and fans on edge last week, trailing his Central Valley opponent 10-2 after a round. In the second period he rode his foe to little avail before his arm bar and half-nelson move resulted in a pin with 16 seconds left.

A host of athletes from Spokane Valley schools were named to various All-State football teams. Leading the way were first-team selections Giorgio Usai, Central Valley's tailback, on the AAA team and East Valley linebacker-running back Jesse Ewell on the AA team. Usai, who went from backup to record-setter, had a state best 1,571 yards rushing and scored a league record 24 touchdowns and 146 points.

Luke Wotruba butterflys at the Shadle Park pool, His and teammate Joe Tidwell's times have steadily improved and both expect to swim at the collegiate level. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

It will be University's size against Central Valley's quickness this week when the two schools' boys basketball teams resume their long-standing rivalry. The Titans host the Bears Friday at 6:15 p.m. in the first game of a boys-girls doubleheader. "University is bigger, stronger and more experienced than last year," said Bear coach Terry Irwin. "But I think we can counter that better this year than last."

A pair of state veterans will lead Riverside High's wrestling program from the Northeast A to the Frontier League. But the Rams must make the transition with one notable absence. District champion and state qualifier Dan Kruger, who was 2-2 at Mat Classic in Tacoma as a junior, did not turn out.

Joe Tidwell is a nationally ranked junior swimmer who competes on the Spokane Area Swimming team. His teammate Luke Wotruba is also featured in a story on page 14. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

East Valley wrestling coach Craig Hanson says sophomore Justin Walker is a young man of few words. Last week, his actions spoke volumes.

Sig T. Hansen, for whom Central Valley High School's football field is named, died Dec. 1 in Bremerton at age 92. He taught history and coached football and track and field at CV from 1933 to 1954 and from 1940 to 1943 was the school's principal. Hansen also farmed 160 acres in the Valley.

GSL wrestling The finest chessmasters couldn't have scripted a better match than Thursday night's Greater Spokane League wrestling opener between University and Rogers. Both coaches used all their gambits during U-Hi's 40-30 victory that came after the Titans surrendered half their game pieces. U-Hi was at check trailing 30-3 through seven matches.

Gonzaga Prep's Cory Brannon topped Central Valley's Shane Cunanan en route to state title at 108 pounds. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Central Valley's Shane Cunanan and East Valley's Justin Walker, soccer teammates since kindergarten and returning state veteran wrestlers, found themselves in an awkward position Thursday night. The two buddies wrestled each other at 115 pounds during the season opening All-Valley double dual. GSL schools CV and University annually square off against EV and West Valley in a pair of matches.

Frontier girls basketball East Valley High School's girls basketball team, which did not even qualify for the district playoffs a year ago, is among this year's Frontier League favorites. In part it is because the Knights return three players who have started since their sophomore season. Primarily it is because there is no team, such as Cheney's unbeatens of a year ago, with a clear-cut edge.

West Valley junior Vinnie Pecht gets above the rim for a dunk as his Eagle teammates admire his style. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Shadle Park's Mary Bass works on a cast handstand with her coach Christine Callihan. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Frontier/Northeast A boys Last year's Northeast A League boys basketball champion Riverside has departed for the Frontier League, giving Lakeside and Deer Park the opportunity to move up. The Rams, 13-3 in boys basketball last year, are hoping to remain as competitive in their new league as have been several of the school's fall sports teams. "We're as ready as we'll ever be," said Coach Brent Monroe. "We have a good nucleus back. I think we'll be very competitive."

Frontier/Northeast A girls If last year's Northeast A League girls basketball state qualifiers Lakeside and Riverside reach the Tacoma Dome again, it will be on different weekends. The pair, part of a three-way tie for the league title, are now in different classifications. Riverside is now part of the Class AA Frontier League, leaving the NEA to the Eagles.

Erik Carlson and his University High boys basketball teammates run sprints after practice. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

University High School girls at practice under the coaching of Bob Finn. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Following Central Valley's season-ending football loss, Cheney coach Tom Oswald called Rick Giampietri to commiserate. "I know how you feel," Oswald told the CV coach. "A lot of teams who were 9-0 on Friday are 9-1 today." Central Valley and Cheney were among them. Each was ranked No. 3 in its respective AAA and AA state polls before unceremoniously exiting in the first round of the playoffs.