New Schedule Brings Change In Gsl Soccer

There will be a major change in the Greater Spokane League girls soccer schedule this fall and an even bigger one for the boys next spring.

Traditionally, GSL soccer games have been played on Mondays and Wednesdays with Saturdays used when teams needed to get in a third game. Also, the nine teams played a double-round robin league schedule to get in their 16 games.

There is no room in the current schedule for nonleague games.

This fall, the girls play on Wednesdays and Fridays, and if third game are needed, they will be played on Mondays.

The change allows coaches a chance to have a brief Saturday practice to prepare for a Monday game, something not possible with a Saturday-Monday lineup.

That should also help the crunch for referees, who are asked to work collegiate, club and youth leagues on Saturdays.

The boys are only going to play through the league once next spring, opening the door for eight nonleague games.

Four will be against GSL teams determined by the league with a blind draw. Each school can pick up the other four games.

And the rankings are …

In USA Today, defending AAA football champion South Kitsap is ranked 21st in the country, third in the West. The Wolves, coached by Spokane native Ed Fisher, went 13-0 last year with a junior-dominated team.

Don’t bet against the champions, at least that’s what the state cross country coaches think, ranking the seven-time State AAA Mead boys and the defending State AA girls champion East Valley first in the preseason poll.

Ferris’ boys, who gave the Panthers a serious challenge last year, are second, with LC sixth and U-Hi receiving votes.

The West Valley boys are fourth, Cheney seventh and Frontier League newcomer Riverside ninth in Class AA. Riverside’s move left Chewelah as the top boys team in A/B at fifth. Northwest Christian and St. George’s also received votes, the only B schools mentioned in the combined poll. NWC is the defending state champion.

For the girls, U-Hi is second behind Eisenhower, Shadle fourth, Mead ninth, Central Valley 10th and Ferris received votes in Class AAA. WV is third in Class AA, and in A, Colfax is eighth, St. George’s 10th and Springdale among those receiving votes. St. George’s, the top-ranked B school, is the defending state champion.

New regional matchups

Cross country and volleyball are the last two sports to join the lineup for postseason regional matchups between GSL and Big Nine schools.

That happens this fall. The volleyball tournament is Nov. 3-4 in the Tri-Cities because state is in Spokane Nov 10-11. The regional cross country meet is Oct. 28 at Hangman Valley Golf Course.

The regional meet, which replaces the District 8-AAA meet, will be the same day as the District 7-AA championships. Class A and B schools will hold their districts, also at Hangman, on Oct. 25.

Next fall, the Big Nine title will be obsolete when a new school opens in Kennewick. That doesn’t mean the name will change. After all, the Big Ten didn’t change when Penn State joined.

New coaches

Pat Shine, who has coached the G-Prep American Legion baseball team the past two seasons, is the new Bullpups baseball coach.

A G-Prep graduate, Shine played at Whitworth and Gonzaga University.

He replaces Mark Machtolf, who is now an assistant at GU.

Drew Vanderpool, who has been a teacher and basketball coach in San Bernardino, Calif., for the last eight years, is the new girls basketball coach at Rogers.

Mike Thacker, who has been out of basketball for a year after coaching at Moses Lake, is the new boys coach at Freeman. Thacker is a 1977 CV graduate.

Finally

Washington and Idaho high school football previews begin Tuesday.

, DataTimes