Mike Vlahovich

University faced Ferris a bat short and spotted the Saxons three runs through four innings of a baseball game between Greater Spokane League title contenders on Tuesday at Whitworth College. No problem.

During competiton at the Tri-Cities Invitational tennis tournament last weekend, University's No. 1 doubles teammates Katie Tenney and Hailey Parrish experienced doubt. They watched Ferris' "really good doubles" duo lose to the team they were to play, said coach Julene Osborn, and told her, "We're going to get killed."

Last weekend's Pasco and Freeman invitational track meets produced more than their share of local accomplishment, particularly at the latter. In Pasco, East Valley's Eleaya Schuerch won the long jump and was sixth in the triple jump with 17-feet, 7 1/2-inch and 35-8 1/2 efforts. Teammate McKenzie Carter placed in the discus.

After spending six innings behind the plate, East Valley catcher Gerry Kelley found himself in the unlikely position as savior in the seventh. Not only did he earn a 5-4 victory over North Central with an inning of relief pitching, but also he became the winning run.

Art Rojas, girls basketball coach at Ferris for the past 10 years, has given his resignation. The surprise announcement comes after Rojas compiled a 149-90 record with the Saxons. His teams were a district playoff fixture and made two state trips, finishing third and eighth.

The performance, said East Valley soccer coach Jeff Rose, wasn't his East Valley team's finest hour. But the Knights did what it took, making good on their one scoring chance in a second half otherwise dominated by visiting Ferris, to win 2-1. The significance of the victory, which moved the league's unbeaten leaders (9-0) five points ahead of their nearest challengers, was not lost on Knights goalkeeper Josh Peck.

A flurry of late goals cured 70 minutes of doubt in East Valley's 5-0 victory over North Central during a match between 3A upper-division Greater Spokane League boys soccer foes on Friday at East Valley. But some of the luster was already gone when the Indians took on the league leaders an important man short.

There was quite a bit at stake for all concerned when University traveled to West Valley Thursday for a Greater Spokane League high school baseball game. Both teams are vying for a league title. Scouts were scoping out potential recruits. And it is, said Titan catcher Kenny VanSickle, something of a rivalry. "West Valley, Ferris and us are senior dominated," he said. "We consider them rivals. Along with Central Valley, these are our big games."

The break is over. Athletes return to school next week and have one month to complete their league seasons. Three weeks of postseason play follow to complete the 2005-06 high school athletic season.

Perfection in baseball is elusive. A player who gets a base hit 30 percent of the time is a success. Winning 60 percent of the time, sometimes even less, can mean a major-league playoff berth.

There is no magical formula, said Ferris coach Robin Crain, when it comes to devising a way to score from inside the 18-yard box. "You just have to get to the ball first before the other team does," he said.

Results were mixed when Spokane Valley Greater Spokane League teams had their first meet on Thursday. Teams, except for baseball, now take spring break off before hitting their respective sports hard beginning April 12 through the Memorial weekend.

Two sophomores in an otherwise senior-filled University baseball lineup provided the necessary offense Thursday afternoon and their elders made other big contributions for a 1-0 Greater Spokane League victory at Mt. Spokane. In a game dominated by pitching and defense, the victory improved U-Hi to 5-0 while dropping the defending GSL champions to 2-3. The teams complete their back-to-back series today at U-Hi.

West Valley (2-0), coming off a week's hiatus, beat Lewis and Clark on Tuesday and set up away and home Greater Spokane League high school baseball showdowns today and Friday with East Valley. Offensive execution lacked, but Eagle pitcher Alex Stanley was stingy during the 3-1 victory over the Tigers.

No Spokane Valley baseball team was winless two days into the Greater Spokane League season. University started 2-0, beating North Central 4-1 in eight innings and, on its field for only the second time, beating Shadle Park 10-4.

East Valley and Central Valley's boys soccer teams took up where they left off, atop the Greater Spokane League, but with tough foes awaiting this week. The Bears played Cheney and the Knights faced Mead in matches Wednesday among the league's remaining unbeatens.

Midfielder Cameron Bushey's goal brought a sudden end to Mead's Greater Spokane League overtimme soccer win at Lewis and Clark on Monday. Bushey knifed a left-footed volley kick over the top of Tigers goal keeper Evan Reed for the 3-2 win. It kept the seat-of-your-pants Panthers unbeaten with their second thriller in the wide-open GSL.

The basketball season didn't end the way five Ferris seniors – one a fourth-year varsity player and three of them third-year letter winners – had hoped. But they couldn't be entirely dissatisfied.