Mike Vlahovich

(Posted, Sept. 24) Last week I noted that special teams plays and turnovers would factor in this year's Greater Spokane League football outcome. That certainly was the case when Gonzaga Prep lost to Central Valley, and it was again when Bullpups shocked University with a 95-yard kickoff return and 85-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to come back 20-17.

West Valley's overtime football loss in Pullman on Friday was the proverbial heartbreaker, a missed extra point after tying the game in regulation proving costly to the Eagles. And a huge victory it would have been in a game between Great Northern League playoff hopefuls. Despite terrific offensive numbers, it's been hard to get over the victory hump.

Greater Spokane League cross country reached the mid-point of its season and Central Valley's girls took a major step toward winning the league title. The Bears (5-0) edged Mead 26-29 on Wednesday to turn back a major challenger for the GSL title. Next up is once-beaten Lewis and Clark at home on Wednesday.

Locked in a struggle early in the second quarter against East Valley and squandering a scoring opportunity by fumbling into the end zone, Mead turned to quarterback Glen Reser and its running-game-by-committee approach to win going away Thursday. The Panthers (3-1, 2-1 Greater Spokane League) defeated the Knights (2-2, 2-2) 40-6 at Joe Albi Stadium to position themselves for a three-week gantlet of games against 4A playoff hopefuls.

(Posted Sept. 17) There's no antidote for turnovers, special teams gaffe or big plays as Greater Spokane League teams learned last week. And those were the intangible tangibles that figured to determine the outcome of this year's standings. Ferris and Central Valley benefited from them, Lewis and Clark and Gonzaga Prep were done in by them.

North Central's boys cross country runners are beginning to get healthy, which is bad news for the rest of the Greater Spokane League. In a race among preseason favorites on Wednesday, NC's Indians dispatched Central Valley 21-34 and Mead 22-36 with a punishing surge in the meet's final mile, and also defeated inexperienced host Ferris 17-44.

There's everything to be said for depth, as Lakeside can attest one-third of the way into the Northeast A League football season. The Eagles, with a turnout including 30 juniors, have two-platooned their way to a 3-0 start following last week's 35-14 win in Colfax.

East Valley's volleyball team picked up a significant win to open the Greater Spokane League season. The Knights defeated North Central in straight sets, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22.

Despite overwhelming public support for Mike Thacker, the Freeman Board of Directors on Wednesday stood by an earlier decision to dismiss him as boys basketball coach. Board members, by a vote of 3-2, rejected the motion to revisit their decision that was made at their regular meeting two weeks earlier.

Four acclaimed athletes of local, national and international stature will be the latest additions into the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame. World record setting decathlete Dan O'Brien, much honored collegiate football lineman Steve Emtman, star athlete (and later state championship coach) Jeanne Helfer and mountain-climbing legend John Roskelley will be inducted in ceremonies in the Spokane Arena on Oct. 16.

A comment by Ferris coach Jim Sharkey that the Saxons needed to shore up their run defense seemed curious considering the fact they have allowed only one touchdown in two football games this year. Sharkey was recapping Friday's 35-7 win over East Valley and looking ahead to Thursday's South Hill showdown with rival Lewis and Clark.

How strong is the Great Northern League? Granted, these were non-league football games against teams from across a range of state enrollment classifications, but league teams scored nearly a clean sweep to open the season. Seven of eight GNL teams won games and the only loss was West Valley's 30-26 setback to visiting East Valley-Yakima, a top-16 State 2A finisher last year. It came on a fourth-quarter drive in which the winning touchdown was scored with 26 seconds remaining in the game.

Thunder and lightning couldn't spoil the Rogers football coaching debut of Matt Miethe, but host East Valley did, winning 40-27 in the Greater Spokane League opener for both in a ragged, if entertaining football game. After the Knights broke a late first-quarter 6-6 tie and built a two-touchdown lead, the game Pirates battled back. It wasn't until quarterback Lonnie Quirk's 33-yard touchdown pass to 6-foot-5 first-year wide receiver Danny Marshall, for a 40-20 advantage with 3:45 remaining in the game, that EV's victory was secure.

High school football teams annually boast of high hopes entering a new season and this year is no different. Optimism among Valley squads is well-founded. Games begin as early as Thursday for a senior class that entered high school with high expectations. Greater Spokane League freshman football was strong in 2004 and those players are bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced as they take their final high school fling.

Summer is not yet officially over, but high school sports are right around the corner. Football teams have already begun practicing and will don pads today for the first contact drills of the season.