Mead Gets Ready For Second School
The wheels are slowly turning as Mead School District prepares to open a new high school in two years.
Though there may be some shuffling before the opening for the 1997-98 school year, current Mead High coaches have been assigned to either MHS or the new school based on teaching seniority.
One move with a more immediate impact has successful soccer coach Dick Cullen becoming Mead activities coordinator because John Miller is scheduled to move to the new school. “I’ve already been doing a lot of stuff,” Cullen said.
Cullen is expected to coach boys and girls soccer until the new school opens, but he can see the end coming a little sooner.
“Originally, I was going to coach two years, but I don’t think that is going to happen,” said Cullen, who accepted the AC duties in June. “I know this year but I don’t know beyond that.”
Cullen’s boys teams tied for the first two Greater Spokane League titles and won the last 10. The girls, who started league play a year later, have won the last nine and won state in 1993.
As teaching openings occur at Mead, they will be filled with an eye on getting coaches for openings in both schools. This year, Miller will show Cullen the ropes. Next year, Miller will begin ordering equipment and uniforms for the new school.
“I’ll be teaching, coaching, doing more (AC) work,” Cullen, a math teacher, said. “John is going to be training me. I don’t know how long (all duties can be juggled); something’s got to give.
“This is my 25th year of coaching. It’s been a tremendous amount of fun, but I’m ready for a different challenge, too. It’s been a career goal of mine for a lot of years and this became available… . “
Opening days
GSL volleyball starts with three matches Sept. 5. GSL soccer starts the next day with four matches. Most schools from other leagues don’t start until the weekend.
Football begins Sept. 7 in the GSL and the following day for most schools across the state. The first GSL cross country meets are Sept. 20.
Non-league notes
GSL soccer teams don’t have non-league matches in their 16-game schedule - yet.
Volleyball tournaments have to be tied in with league games for GSL schools. Six schools are headed to Walla Walla the first Saturday of the season and two more are going to Bethel the same day.
The big volleyball tournament in Spokane is the Action Sportwear Crossover Classic at Lewis and Clark and Shadle Park on Oct. 21.
There are a number of major cross country meets, but the biggest is SunFair in Yakima on Sept. 30.
U-Hi has the non-league game during the first week of football season, playing Eisenhower, one of the favorites in the Big Nine, at U-Hi on Sept. 8.
Another non-league football game is Cheney at North Central on Sept. 15. It will be the first football game at NC in years.
An intriguing game has McNally Composite High School of Edmonton, Alberta, playing G-Prep at Albi on Sept. 21.
G-Prep football coach Don Anderson said he was exploring a game against a Nevada team when a call came from the coach in Edmonton.
“I thought it would be a good trip for the kids, but if we go up there we have to play Canadian rules,” he said. “They wanted to come down here; they’re going to go to a WSU game. It was just by accident, believe me; I don’t know anything about them.”
He does know he doesn’t want to play 12-on-12 and use different rules three weeks into the season.
“We need a ballgame the third week,” he said, “but we don’t need to experiment.”
The Week Four non-league game is also on a Thursday at Albi, Post Falls playing Shadle Park. In Week 5, it’s Ferris at Richland on Saturday. The last is Rogers playing Pullman at Martin Stadium on the Washington State campus in Week 7.
Final note
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is holding a contest to rename the Kingbowl. The one-day, five-classification extravaganza of state championship football games is moving to the Tacoma Dome after 18 years in the Seattle Kingdome.
Names may not be specific with regard to community, geographical areas, facilities or schools. The names must be sent to the WIAA office by 5 p.m. on Sept. 5. They can be submitted through this newspaper, in care of the prep editor. The phone numbers are 459-5501, 1-800-789-0029 ext. 5501 or (FAX) 459-5098.
The new name will be announced on Sept. 8. The winner receives two tickets to the football finals and two sweatshirts embroidered with the event’s new name and logo.
, DataTimes