Ferris Guard Morrisette Tabs Msu
From Sports, August 6, 1996: Gonzaga Prep has also played in the State AAA soccer playoffs, finishing third and second in recent boys state tournaments. The Bullpups were left out of an article that mentioned Greater Spokane League schools that have made it to the state playoffs.
Jayme Morrisette, a two-time All-Greater Spokane League girls basketball player for Ferris, has signed a letter of intent to play at Montana State University.
“I really liked the coach,” said Morrisette, a 5-foot-11 guard. “I like the campus; the players were nice. The whole atmosphere, when I was there - I could tell.”
Morrisette never had a scholarship offer when she graduated despite her awards and helping Ferris to a third-place finish in the State AAA tournament last March. She had to hope for a solid showing in all-star games after the school year, including the national 18U AAU tournament in Spokane last month.
Morrisette played for the Spokane Stars team that finished seventh in the AAU tournament, the Eastern Washington team that beat a Northern Idaho team and a Washington team that defeated an Oregon team.
“I was never really that nervous. I had faith in myself,” she said. “I’m glad I (played well) , but it’s easy to play well with players like that.”
Morrisette, an honors student, also had an offer from Idaho State and interest from Hawaii and Arizona State.
She offered one piece of advice to players who find themselves in a similar position.
“Just have patience. It will work for them, as everyone told me,” she said.
Coaching notes
Robin Crain, the only coach to take a District 81 school to the State AAA soccer playoffs, has left North Central to coach at Ferris.
In 1993, the NC boys finished third in the State AAA playoffs. Other than that season, only Mead or Valley schools advanced in the playoffs.
Central Valley volleyball coach Laurie Henry has been hired to teach at Ferris.
Terry Regnier, who had a run-in with a student late in the school year, has been replaced as the baseball coach at Cheney.
Bi-County League boys basketball coaches Nick Marriott (Davenport) and Sam Wiseman (Wilbur-Creston) have resigned.
No more banking on it
U.S. Bank, which has supported Washington Interscholastic Activities Association events for the past nine years, has ended its relationship with the schools.
Each year, U.S. Bank provided the WIAA with $135,000, which was distributed to schools to offset expenses from state playoffs.
The WIAA expects to announce a new statewide corporate sponsor soon.
“Yes, we’re very confident,” said WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese. “We’ve got a very wholesome group that is very interested in the sponsorship. My hope is that we can advise everybody in two weeks.”
Pat Hoonan, athletic director for the Puyallup School District, has joined the WIAA staff, replacing assistant executive director Don Bagnall.
Bagnall, the “Opstad formula expert,” retired.
New names
Colbrese said the WIAA has decided to refer to classifications as 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A and B when the fifth level becomes a reality for the 1997-98 school year.
BCI battles
The third-place finish of an area boys basketball team in the Basketball Congress International tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., is believed to be the highest for a local team in a national tournament.
The players who competed in the high school open division of the tournament, which concluded Wednesday, were Justin Bursch, Jason Weatherred, Jeremy Lucke and Tom Servine of Ferris; John Galbreath, Ritzville; George Petticrew and Bill Bender, Lakeside; Troy Nealey, LaCrosse-Washtucna; Ryan Monroe, Riverside; Ryan Belieu, Trout Lake; and Luke Arthur, Silverdale.
, DataTimes