Steve Bergum

Whitworth University has had plenty of chances in the past five years to measure its NCAA Division III men’s basketball program against the best in the country. It got another one Sunday afternoon, when Washington (Mo.) University, a team that won back-to-back national titles in 2008 and 2009, invaded Whitworth Fieldhouse.

Whitworth University has had plenty of chances in the past five years to measure its NCAA Division III men’s basketball program against the best in the country. It got another one Sunday afternoon, when Washington (Mo.) University, a team that won back-to-back national titles in 2008 and 2009, invaded Whitworth Fieldhouse. And the 12th-ranked Pirates once again proved more than worthy of keeping proper company with the D-III elites by slapping a 88-66 loss on the Bears in front of a crowd of 680.

Eastern Washington’s 2011 college football season – once filled with so much promise – will come to an earlier-than-anticipated close this afternoon when the Eagles take on Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference game that kicks off at 3 in Holt Arena in Pocatello. Eastern, after last year’s run to an NCAA Division I championship, was thought to have enough returning talent to make another deep playoff run, and opened the season ranked No. 1 among FCS schools.

Eastern Washington’s 2011 college football season – once filled with so much promise – will come to an earlier-than- anticipated close this afternoon when the Eagles take on Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference game that kicks off at 3 in Holt Arena in Pocatello.

East Valley’s girls soccer team made history last fall by advancing to the semifinals of the State 2A tournament for the first time. And now that they’re back in the Final Four, the Knights are ready to make more history, according to coach Gabe Escobar.

Washington State University’s women’s soccer team has been here before – just a little more than two months ago, in fact. But coach Matt Potter’s team hasn’t done what its hopes to do Friday, when it takes on host and eighth- ranked Virginia at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville, Va., in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Eastern Washington University will get back to trying to defend the pass – make that many passes – when its travel to Pocatello on Saturday to take on Big Sky Conference rival Idaho State in its season finale.

No one has been able to slow Coeur d’Alene High School’s dynamic passing game all fall. So Mother Nature took her shot Friday night.

There was a time, much earlier this fall, when tonight’s nonconference college football matchup between defending NCAA Division I national champion Eastern Washington University and future Big Sky Conference member Cal Poly – which will join the league as a football-only member next fall – might have been worth circling on the calendar. But that was before both teams had their hopes of making the 2011 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs ravaged by injuries.

No one has been able to slow Coeur d’Alene High School’s dynamic passing game all fall.

There was a time, much earlier this fall, when tonight’s non-conference college football matchup between defending NCAA Division I national champion Eastern Washington University and future Big Sky Conference member Cal Poly – which will join the league as a football-only member next fall – might have been worth circling on the calendar.

Eastern Washington’s defense has dealt with its share of option offenses this fall. But the one the Eagles (4-5) will face in Saturday’s 6 p.m. nonconference game against Cal Poly (5-4) in San Luis Obispo, Calif., is a whole different animal than the popular “pistol” variety used by many teams.

Eastern Washington’s defense has dealt with its share of option offenses this fall. But the one the Eagles (4-5) will face in Saturday’s 6 p.m. non-conference showdown against Cal Poly (5-4) in San Luis Obispo, Calif., is a whole different animal than the popular “pistol” variety used by many teams.

Gonzaga Prep girls soccer coach Christian Birrer wasn’t surprised by the dominance of Greater Spokane League teams in Saturday’s 4A Regional playoffs. But he was impressed, nonetheless.