Mike Vlahovich

North Central was almost late to Herm Marshall’s final regional softball party. Undeterred, the Indians presented Marshall a most glorious gift, another trip to state, this one Friday at the 3A softball tournament in Tacoma. It is NC’s fifth straight state appearance and of the five, this one was the most unlikely.

Lanky Pullman hurdler Nick Cassleman is more than 6 feet tall. Niina Al Hassan is a foot shorter. But both were like-minded when it came to the hurdles during Friday’s District 7 2A meet at Eastern Washington’s Woodward Field in Cheney. Cassleman, continuing the family business, blazed to superb 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdles times. The diminutive Al Hassan, who first spent time throwing the javelin and won with a throw of 125 feet, 3 inches, captured the 300 hurdles in 44.93 seconds. And the pair was part of state-qualifying 1,600-meter relay teams, the girls winning in 4:07.88.

Wasn’t it Satchel Paige who once famously said, “Never look back, something might be gaining on you?” That something was Lewis and Clark’s softball team going from fifth seed in the District 8 playoffs to upset specialists. The Tigers pulled off a truly stunning feat, knocking out league co-champion University to qualify for the Regional 4A tourney in Yakima this weekend.

Shadle Park’s Nathan Weitz this year clocked the second- and third-fastest times for a freshman in Washington state track history for the 3,200 and 1,600 meters. He ran 9 minutes, 23.44 seconds in the former during the Pasco Invitational, and last weekend during the 3A District timed 4:19.36 in the latter. Weitz ranks among the top eight this year in both categories, which would medal in the state meet.

It didn’t take much offense to determine District 8 champions in 4A and 3A finals Friday at Whitworth University. One swing of the bat was all it took for Central Valley to defeat University 2-0 in their rubber game for the 4A title.

Most of us have assumed that the 35-second clock, adopted next year for boys basketball by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, will abet an offensive explosion. And many believe there will be increased fan interest as a result. “Everyone likes a buzzer-beater and now we have a chance for one at the end of every 35 seconds,” said University coach Garrick Phillips, one of the clock’s proponents.

High school coaching resignations are becoming contagious. West Valley basketball coach Jamie Nilles is the latest to announce his intentions. Nilles will step down after 11 years as head coach and a 205-70 record. Counting eight years as an assistant, he’s spent the last 19 seasons in coaching.

In his preseason questionnaire, Lewis and Clark baseball coach Dexter Davis listed inexperienced pitching as an “area of concern.” Seniors Jimmy Reed and Benny Baird allayed those fears, and the Tigers won nine of their final 10 Greater Spokane League games and finished 12-8 for their first winning season since 2002.

On a Thursday when the Greater Spokane League baseball title was at stake, University pitcher Billy Moon was at his best. The lefty hurler painted a masterpiece at Mead for his first high school no-hitter, whitewashing the Panthers 8-0 to wrap up the Titans’ second straight league title.

Like Rodney Dangerfield, state veteran golfer Nick McCaslin has recently received little respect. McCaslin’s name has at times inadvertently been left out of the weekly Greater Spokane League results or his name misspelled. “Everybody at school today was calling me ‘Mick,’ ” he said Tuesday night following the most recent slight.

Cheney baseball coach Randy Elam abides by the wisdom of a favorite quote – “It’s amazing what can be achieved when nobody cares who gets the credit.” In his fourth year back at the helm, Elam readily spreads around the credit when talking about the Blackhawks, who are first in the Great Northern League and 15-2 overall.

For three innings Thursday at Central Valley, Mead’s potent offense was dormant. No worries – the Panthers had Cody Lunt.

Lewis and Clark coupled two early goals with impenetrable defense to clinch at least a tie for the Greater Spokane League boys soccer championship. LC defeated visiting Ferris 3-0 Wednesday afternoon taking advantage of the breeze at Hart Field.

This is, indeed, a small world. How else do you explain the chance meeting of Thai exchange students on a tennis court in a small northeast Washington community? Wannita Cherdchairith is from Surin, northeast of the capital of Bangkok. Bees Ratpibul is from Surat Thani on the peninsula that juts well south and borders the Gulf of Thailand.

Mike Haugen’s passion for academics won out over his passion for coaching basketball. Gonzaga Prep’s boys basketball coach has announced his decision to step down and concentrate solely on his positions as a history department head and Advanced Placement World History instructor.