Mike Vlahovich

When Lewis and Clark and University scheduled their unbeaten girls basketball teams to play their season-ending game Thursday while the remainder of the Greater Spokane League finishes tonight, it was planned as a fitting showcase between two of the state's finest teams. But there's no guarantee it will be the GSL finale. There is still the chance for as many as three 4A tiebreaker games – two boys, one girls – Friday in a league that won't go quietly.

Consistency has been elusive for Mead boys basketball this year, coach Glenn Williams likening the season to a mechanic tinkering with an automobile to try and keep it operating smoothly. The Panthers struggled at home against Mt. Spokane for the better part of three quarters, but then hit on all cylinders for the final 10 minutes of their 50-34 victory.

The stage is set for the showdown as University's girls basketball team tries for its first undefeated Greater Spokane League season since 1979. On Thursday the Titans will host fellow unbeaten Lewis and Clark in the only show in town. Other league teams, boys and girls, complete their regular seasons on Tuesday.

Tournament wrestling by its nature tends to be about the individual. But for University and East Valley, this weekend's regional wrestling contests will have a decidedly team feel. Local teams in the Region 4 tournaments, from 4A through 1A/B will get their share of state qualifiers and eventual state placers.

Any other year, Central Valley's 10 wrestling qualifiers to this weekend's regional tournament at University would rate headlines. Those are numbers comparable to the 11 the 1998 state champion Bears had at the same meet, though eight of them went as district finalists, while this year CV had two.

If you saw him walking down the hallways at school, said North Central's Mike Clute, you would never know he wrestled. "I'm mellow off the mat. If you met me you'd say I'm a sissy," he said.

Two area college coaches and a longtime wrestling official were honored with Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters 25-Year Awards during Wednesday's Youth Awards Luncheon at the Spokane Ag-Trade Center. Steve Hertz, who retired as Gonzaga University baseball coach following the 2003 season, and Irene Matlock, who announced her retirement as Community Colleges of Spokane volleyball coach after the fall season, both completed illustrious careers.

North Central coach Mike Ranieri couldn't say enough about his wrestling team, which last weekend finished second with 186.5 points behind East Valley's 352 in the 3A subregional tournament. Not only because the Indians have seven wrestlers who will compete this weekend in regionals, but also because some of his other wrestlers had their best efforts of the season.

All season long Lewis and Clark got the most out of half a dozen wrestlers packed together in a handful of lower weights but who spread out in order to pack the most dual match punch. During District 8 4A competition last weekend, five earned the right to move on for individual gain.

It was "do or else" for Ferris' girls at home against Mead in Greater Spokane League basketball Tuesday night and the Saxons responded by winning 53-35 in one of their most complete efforts this season. Only six teams will make the District 4A playoffs and Ferris was facing the prospect of falling two games off the pace if it lost.

University basketball coach Marty Jessett tried not to make a big deal of the Titans' difficult 48-46 loss to Ferris in a high school showdown of Greater Spokane League leaders. "You're going to get up for a team you're tied for first place with," he said. "But we try not to put too much weight on one game in the regular season."

Ferris has been there, done that, and its poise under pressure Thursday was telling, particularly early and again late in a 48-46 victory over University, a Greater Spokane League boys basketball thriller befitting league tri-leaders. The Saxons (14-3, 8-2) burst out of the gates quickly at U-Hi (12-5, 7-3) to lead 12-2, then, after falling behind 19-14, scored the final nine points of the first half.

It's been a remarkable year for the University Titans wrestling team. By winning Saturday's Washington High School Dream Duals for the first time, they added one more honor to a litany of season successes.

Spokane-area wrestling teams were too good and it resulted in a nightmarish situation at the Washington Dream Duals. The tournament, Saturday at East Valley, brought 24 teams, six each in four enrollment classifications to East Valley on Saturday.