Four wrestlers from South Side schools placed during last weekend's state high school wrestling tournaments at Mat Classic XX in Tacoma. Two were from Liberty, including Brian Mumby who reached the finals of Class B with a pair of decisions before being pinned in the final.
Two teams with similar makeups made playing the game difficult Tuesday. But Pasco ultimately beat Shadle Park at its own game for a 35-31 4A East Regional girls basketball victory at Spokane Falls CC putting the Highlanders on the ropes. The loss by the Greater Spokane League runner-up left Lewis and Clark as the lone unbeaten standard bearer heading into regional weekend on Friday and Saturday in Kennewick.
Shadle Park's Anthony Brown played like the athlete who has committed to play at Washington State in a couple of years and, as a result, the Highlanders will play in the ConAgra Foods/LambWeston 4A East Regional basketball tournament semifinals Friday in Kennewick. Brown scored 26 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and displayed college-worthy athleticism in the Highlanders' 72-67 overtime victory over rugged Eisenhower Tuesday night at Spokane Falls CC.
The first night is always big when 4A Eastern regional basketball begins. Winners have a leg up for state and the top two teams from the District 7 and 5 tournaments get home-court advantage. Ferris and Shadle Park boys, Lewis and Clark and Shadle girls have the Greater Spokane League hammer when games begin tonight.
TACOMA – Brian Owen's wrestling career was not without its bumps. But the University senior ended as it had begun, with a state championship. Owen's title, at 130 pounds, was the third in succession Saturday for Greater Spokane League competitors, who shared a kinship beyond the medallions draped around their necks.
TACOMA – Close followers of Lakeside wrestling have been spoiled over the past 15 years by a program that has won six state titles and finished second three other times. But even they would agree that Saturday's most recent title at Mat Classic XX was one for the ages.
TACOMA – At the beginning of the season no one, not even the coaches, knew how good East Valley wrestlers would be. The team had some veteran, but youthful, wrestlers back and had graduated most of its upper-weight tournament strength. But this is a team that has come far so fast from the beginning of the season.
TACOMA – Deer Park and Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) spent the first day of Mat Classic XX wresting as if they had unfinished business to attend to. The Stags – second in State 2A last year – and Eagles – who took third in 1A – both have several wrestlers back who had come up just short of winning individual titles.
Shadle Park believes in second chances and the result was the Highlanders' third victory this season over Mead. Four third-quarter second-chance baskets following offensive rebounds during the District 8 4A girls basketball tournament at University staked them to a nine-point lead and subsequent 45-43 win.
Before last weekend's 4A regional wrestling tournament in Yakima, Central Valley coach John Owen saw the number of bodies Moses Lake had in the field and worried. "When they came in with 10 (district) champions I told somebody the race was for second – that they'd lead and no one would catch them," he said.
When Dennis LaRue was playing hockey more than 20 years ago as a defenseman with the Spokane Chiefs, late coach Al Rollins informed him his future was limited. But it was Rollins who headed him in the direction of officiating, LaRue said. Today, the Spokane native has the best of all worlds. He lives in Spokane with his family and travels to indulge his hockey passion.
It was a night for the unexpected when favorites fell like duckpins during the first round of the District 8 4A basketball playoffs. Only one higher seeded team, Mead's girls, survived with their easy 62-38 victory that eliminated Gonzaga Prep. Otherwise, the upstarts prevailed
There would be no regional wrestling championship for Ryan Jorgensen. His teammate at 160 pounds, Waylon Cork, saw to that with a 1-0 quarterfinal victory. But considering the circumstances of the Deer Park junior's career, competing this weekend in the State 2A tournament is just as monumental.
Deer Park's arduous regular- season wrestling schedule was designed for this moment. The Stags sent six wrestlers into the 2A Regional Tournament finals, won three championships at West Valley on Saturday, and qualified a total of 10 to Mat Classic XX next week
The pairings are set for four Spokane Valley teams competing in the District 8 4A basketball playoffs beginning Tuesday. Central Valley (9-11) boys will travel to Mead (10-10) and University (8-11 with today's makeup game at Ferris remaining) is at Gonzaga Prep (14-6) in 7:30 p.m. winner to regional-loser out games.
You'd have never known it was the Greater Spokane League's No. 2 team against No. 10 when Shadle Park and North Central squared off Thursday night. The Indians (4-14) hung with the Highlanders (who finished the regular season 17-3), but couldn't overcome a second-quarter lapse, losing 47-40 at the Arena.
It's getting to be North Central's time of year as evidenced by a spirited effort during the Groovy Shoes Spirit Game. But Shadle Park's boys basketball players have shown they thrive on tension. In front of 4,977 noisy fans in the Spokane Arena, the Highlanders (a regular-season ending 18-2) made six straight free throws in the final 41 seconds to win a thriller, 62-55.
There was a time when Ryan DesRoches considered himself the third-best wrestler in his family, behind younger brothers Jacob and Nick. They had instant success and Ryan was less coordinated, said his dad, Rob.
Gonzaga Prep went with one of its own. Bullpups graduate and longtime football assistant Dave McKenna was named this week to replace Dave Carson, who resigned after 10 years at the helm. McKenna is the fifth Gonzaga head coach over the last 80 years.
Pullman came to West Valley through a blizzard Tuesday night for a Great Northern League basketball showdown and then pulled an inside job. Led by Jaime Fertakis, the Greyhounds got the better of the young Eagles in the post, shooting to a big early lead, then finishing business in the final 4 minutes for a 71-65 victory.
The competitive matches at last week's District 8 4A wrestling tournament coupled with past performances bodes well, say coaches, when their charges compete for state berths Friday and Saturday in Yakima. "Our kids, in all weights, are pretty solid, I think," said Mead coach Phil McLean of a district title he won for the first time since moving from Gonzaga Prep after the 2000 season.
During the finals of Saturday's District 8 4A wrestling tournament at Mead, University's Brian Owen and Mead's Philip Smith found themselves competing side by side on adjoining mats instead of facing each other as anticipated for the 125-pound title. Owen, who had injured a toe that prevented him from running, failed to make weight and wrestled instead at 130 where he breezed to the title with two pins and an 18-4 decision.
The most difficult part of East Valley's journey to the State 3A high school wrestling tournament, Knights coach Craig Hanson contends, is the first step. EV is in Kennewick this weekend for the eastern sub-regional where Greater Spokane League teams have 63 entrants versus the Columbia Basin League's 142.
A late first-quarter run by Ferris during a big first-half advantage that led to a 71-52 boys basketball victory Friday night over Gonzaga Prep, took on undertones of the first time the two teams met. The margin of victory was similar. Like the first time, Ferris (17-0) built a huge first-quarter advantage, thanks to defense that took away passing lanes out front, and DeAngelo Casto had a big offensive effort.
Freshman standout Tia Presley scored 17 second-half points to rally Gonzaga Prep, and Jenna Sayman scored the winning basket with 30 seconds remaining at Ferris in a Greater Spokane League basketball game of district playoff import. The sixth-place Bullpups (8-10) moved two games ahead of the Saxons (6-11) in the win column with the 52-49 victory after rallying from a six-point deficit early in the third quarter.
