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Mike Vlahovich

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News >  Voices

A perfect season for Ferris boys, LC girls

So Ferris and Lewis and Clark – what will you do for an encore? "We're going to do it again," Saxons coach Don Van Lierop said light-heartedly in the celebration's aftermath in the Tacoma Dome Saturday night. "That's why we brought over a whole bunch of young guys, and we have a point guard in waiting."
Sports

Adversity conquered

When things were at their bleakest, West Valley basketball players discovered the best in themselves. During a season that saw the unanticipated departure of three players and off-court dramas involving coaches, the Eagles held together, elevated their game and today are making their fourth straight state appearance, in the 2A competition in the Tacoma Dome.
Sports

Wildcats keep teams guessing

Mt. Spokane's basketball defense, to paraphrase Forrest Gump's mother, is like a box of chocolates. Opposing teams never know what they're going to get. "We've run probably five different defenses this year," said guard Jordon Poynor. "It (may seem) ridiculous, but it works really well. We're a smart bunch of guys and can pick up anything he throws at us."
Sports

Ferris boys, LC girls cap perfect seasons

When all was said and done, four days of basketball in Tacoma provided the perfect ending. Two South Side teams, the Ferris boys and Lewis and Clark girls, compiled identical 29-0 records to win State 4A basketball championships. Between them during a two-year period, they have combined for 91 consecutive wins. It had never happened before in league history. Who knows if it will happen again?
Sports

Wildcats draw early game in State 3A tourney first round

Mount Spokane is the opening act when the State 3A basketball tournament begins Wednesday in Seattle's KeyArena. The Wildcats, in their second state appearance, play at 9 a.m. against a team they are familiar with, Mount Rainier. They met during a tournament at Seattle Christian last summer.
Sports

Trio for Tigers

TACOMA – Lewis and Clark's girls basketball team had no one average double figures in scoring or rebounding during its four-day stay at the State 4A tournament. What they had following Saturday night's 42-37 victory over Moses Lake in the Tacoma Dome was an unblemished season to become the first team in tournament history to win three straight championships.
Sports

LC survives to play for title

TACOMA – A once-formidable 18-point Lewis and Clark lead had melted to nearly nothing with 3 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the State 4A girls basketball semifinal game Friday night against Prairie in the Tacoma Dome. The two-time defending champions desperately needed someone to rise up.
Sports

Lincoln puts clamps on Shadle Park offense

TACOMA – Shadle Park's boys basketball team made its living winning close games during the regular season. But the Highlanders couldn't find a way over the final two days of the State 4A tournament in the Tacoma Dome.
Sports

Saxons remain perfect

TACOMA – Bellarmine Prep was buried under the weight of Ferris' date with destiny Friday night in the Tacoma Dome. The defending State 4A champion Saxons (28-0) stand one win away from an unprecedented second straight perfect season following their 75-60 boys basketball victory over the Lions.
Sports

Cheadle ignites Ferris

TACOMA – If the Ferris Saxons were going to advance to tonight's 8:30 State 4A boys basketball semifinal, Edmonds-Woodway was going to make them earn it. "One of the things we want is to take a team out it its comfort zone," said E-W coach Gail Pintler. "We made them work for most everything they got. It would have been nice if they hadn't got it."
Sports

McCloud rains on Shadle

TACOMA – Shadle Park's championship basketball dreams came down to the final seconds of a game of contrasting halves. They were dashed by their biggest pregame concern. Jordan McCloud's score on an offensive rebound and putback handed Decatur (22-6) a 57-55 victory over the Highlanders (22-5) during Thursday's State 4A boys basketball tournament quarterfinal at the Tacoma Dome.
Sports

Tigers, Saxons in semis

TACOMA – Lewis and Clark's latest trip to the State 4A girls basketball semifinals was a product of many things. But in the end it was the availability of junior Jeneva Anderson that put the 55-47 victory over friendly foe Snohomish on ice.
Sports

Ferris fires it up

TACOMA – For periods of time in their State 4A boys basketball opener Wednesday, the defending champion Ferris Saxons got caught up in the high-flying frenzy of Garfield basketball. But the Saxons – unlike last year's third- and second-place state finishers, Franklin and Kentridge – were not about to be victims of an opening-day upset.
Sports

Humphrey’s long-range shots lead Shadle

TACOMA – When Zack Humphrey is feeling it, it's wise to put the ball in his hands. It certainly was the case in Shadle Park's first game at the State 4A boys basketball tournament Wednesday morning.
Sports

Tigers shake off slow start

TACOMA – The basketball game between Lewis and Clark and Puyallup started 30 minutes late. The Tigers showed up even later.
Sports

Stockton is catalyst for unbeaten Ferris Saxons

Eight seconds. That's all that stood between Ferris and the end of a winning streak that had encompassed 53 games over two seasons. The Saxons trailed Shadle Park by a basket and needed to go the length of the court in Kennewick's Toyota Center. During a timeout, Jeff Minnerly suggested that they get the ball to Shawn Stockton and let him make the decision – whether to go coast to coast and finish or, depending upon the defense, find an open man.
Sports

Ferris boys open with Garfield

During Sunday's State 4A basketball tournament draw, a reporter from the Seattle Times asked Ferris coach Don Van Lierop what is better about this year's Saxons. He thought about saying composure, but remembered last year's 29-0 state champions were as composed as it gets.
Sports

Ferris rallies past Shadle for title

KENNEWICK – Staring at the possibility of the demise of their State 4A-record winning streak, the Ferris Saxons showed again why this has been a special basketball team. They trailed Shadle Park by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter. With 1 minute, 5 seconds left they were behind 67-62.
Sports

LC displays variety of talents on way to regional title

KENNEWICK – In Saturday's 4A Eastern regional championship girls basketball game at the Toyota Center, Lewis and Clark showed off the diversity of its talents. The day before, there was high-percentage shooting and defense. In their 61-30 romp over outgunned Pasco, the difference was offensive rebounding and shooting from 3-point range.
Sports

Ferris, Shadle punch tickets to state

KENNEWICK – Opposition defenses dictated the outcome when Ferris and Shadle Park both won Friday in the Toyota Center to set up their fourth meeting in today's 5 p.m. finals of the East 4A Regional boys basketball tournament. Ferris' Jared Karstetter took what he was given when Greater Spokane League opponent University packed back in its zone, scoring the first 13 Saxons points during a 78-50 victory.
Sports

LC girls cruise to state spot

KENNEWICK – For the better part of the first half, Lewis and Clark was forced to rely on torrid offense rather than trademark pressure to keep Walla Walla at bay. But over the final 4 minutes, the bread and butter clicked in and the combination stamped the Tigers' ticket to their sixth straight State 4A girls basketball tournament trip.
Sports

Defense carries Wildcats

Mt. Spokane's boys basketball team hung its hat on defense all season long during a fourth-place Greater Spokane League finish. And it was defense that thwarted North Central three times this season, including Thursday night at Rogers in overtime during the 3A district championship game.
News >  Voices

CV, U-Hi, EV all solid at Mat Classic XX

Central Valley, University and East Valley solidified their position in the state high school wrestling power structure with strong efforts during last weekend's Mat Classic XX in Tacoma. The Bears brought home the third-place state team trophy, had two individual finalists and six medalists, while the Titans shared their third-straight fourth-place trophy after winning the title in 2004.
News >  Voices

North Side wrestlers, gymnast make history

To call the North Side of Spokane a hotbed of high school wrestling may be understating the fact. Last weekend during Mat Classic XX, the multiclassification state championships in Tacoma, schools from the area brought home two team championships, nine individual titles and numerous other trophies.
Sports

Regionals now have new spin

That Ferris and Shadle Park are playing Friday in Kennewick for boys State 4A basketball berths is no surprise. The teams, after all, were ranked first and fourth in the latest AP state poll. But University playing for a state berth Friday night?