Mike Vlahovich

Lewis and Clark built a quick 15-point lead at Gonzaga Prep in Greater Spokane League girls basketball Tuesday night, but the 69-54 victory wasn't that cut and dried. While the Tigers' early pressure made things look easy, the Bullpups cut the seemingly formidable 16-1 lead to 23-21 in the second quarter.

What did last week's Greater Spokane League basketball start reveal? "That we've got two losses," said Central Valley boys coach Rick Sloan. "We've got to go get better and play with the guys we have."

People in St. John annually look forward to the town's Winterfest. Snowy weather this week even cooperated. But members of the high school football team won't be there. The Eagles have a big festival of their own planned as part of the six-game state championship Gridiron Classic in Tacoma.

The three-letter acronym synonymous with sport that causes athletes and coaches to cringe is the dreaded "ACL." Short for anterior cruciate ligament, it is part of the network of sinews and bands that holds a knee joint together and helps make the legs function.

Gonzaga Prep football made the start of its state semifinal football game seem too easy. And maybe that was the problem. After two weeks spent rallying from the brink, maybe early prosperity wasn't such a good thing.

St. John-Endicott's offense got the Eagles into the State 1B football semifinals. But it was defense that earned them a trip to Tacoma. Senior Brett Larson had two timely second-half interceptions, the second coming with 1:46 remaining, to salvage the Eagles' 32-28 victory.

When Freeman volleyball coach Kenny Davis submitted his resignation following 22 years guiding the Scotties, he did so in the form of a television commercial. •Number of years coaching: 30, including at the collegiate level.

Washington high school distance runners rambled to the most lop-sided cross-country victories in the eight-year history of the Washington vs. Oregon Nike BorderClash. The boys had the top 16 finishers en route to a 55-272 thumping of their Oregon counterparts and the girls had 14 of the top 17 placers for a 70-196 romp.

East meets West today when Gonzaga Prep and Colville play host to state high school playoff football games. At stake are berths in state semifinals. The Bullpups play Eastlake in a 4A quarterfinal on their campus and the Indians are in Albi Stadium against Tumwater in 2A. Both begin at 1 p.m.

When the Colville Indians play in the State 2A football quarterfinals Saturday, they will meet Tumwater and coach Sid Otton, the winningest high school coach in state history. The Indians (11-0) are one of six area teams still alive in the state playoffs. In tonight's games, Northeast 2B teams Reardan (10-0) and Davenport (9-1) seek to advance to the state semifinals, while Odessa faces St. John-Endicott in 1B.

Keeping sports in perspective, the late Cheney football coach Tom Oswald often told me he could do without the state playoffs. Only one postseason team ends its season with a win, he reasoned, and he rather preferred to send his seniors out with a regular-season victory, leaving them fulfilled.

There's a distinct Eastlake connection to Gonzaga Prep when the Wolves come to Spokane Saturday for a State 4A football quarterfinal game against the Bullpups. Junior running back Taylor Lappano is son of Prep graduate Tim Lappano, a Bullpups Hall of Fame member who remains ninth among single season Greater Spokane League rushers with 1,299 yards, a figure he compiled in 1974 to be No. 1 at the time.

The score notwithstanding, there could be no questioning the performance of the Lakeside's defense despite a 32-7 Saturday afternoon loss to defending champion Royal in the first round of the State 1A football playoffs at Deer Park. Eagles defenders dished it out just as readily as their foe. But the Knights' penchant for penalties was offset by Lakeside turnovers and the visitors ultimately made enough big plays to advance to next week's quarterfinals at home against Cashmere.

The game of soccer has gone to Amanda Swenson's head and Cheney's girls soccer team is headed to the State 2A semifinals as a result. The Blackhawks beat the host West Valley Eagles 4-0 Friday afternoon, breaking open the contest with three goals in the second half. It was their second straight state 4-0 victory on the road.

Gonzaga Prep takes center stage as first-round state football games begin today. The Class 4A Bullpups (9-1) host Moses Lake (7-3) at 7 p.m. The Friday date and time were chosen because Saturday is the funeral for the school's former president, John Traynor, who died Nov. 2. He became G-Prep's principal in 1989 and in 1995 was named the first lay president at the Jesuit school. He retired in 2004.

Potpourri: a mixture or medley. With fall postseason hurtling to its conclusion, today is a time to pause and reflect with some random thoughts. “As hectic as this time of year is, consider the plight of husband and wife Tom and Julie Yearout. His fall is consumed by football, hers by volleyball as Lewis and Clark head coaches. The price of success means they can't always be present to support each other's successes or disappointments on game days. Last Friday, for instance, while the Tigers played a postseason football game in Pasco, the volleyball team was qualifying for state in Spokane.