Former Doormat Newport Now Doing Stomping In Northeast A

Newport has shed its days of 0-20 records and inevitable losses to Colfax.

Led by super freshman Carey Sauer and high-scoring juniors Heidi Schulz and Michele Carrara, the Grizzlies are clawing their way toward the top of the Northeast A.

Nobody in the league matches up with Newport (13-3 overall, 8-2 in league). The three high scorers and senior Amy Sherman are all at least 6 feet tall; three underclassmen are 5-10.

Newport knew it had arrived when it beat third-ranked Colfax 54-45 on Jan. 13.

“I’ve been here nine years,” said Grizzlies coach Mike Frederick, “and we’ve never beaten Colfax.”

Newport finished 0-20 the year before Carrara (14.8 points per game) and Schulz (13.6 ppg) joined the team. The tandem slogged through a 5-15 freshman year, then went 12-8 last season.

With league scoring leader Sauer (18.7 ppg) aboard this season, Newport has won 11 of its last 12 heading into Saturday’s home game against sixth-ranked Lakeside (15-1). Lakeside is the lone team to beat pank Newport this year - by 20 points.

Thinning ranks

The Kahlotus girls forfeited a Blue Mountain League game to Asotin and a non-league game to the Connell C squad because flu eroded their roster to less than five players.

Kahlotus is prepared to skip girls basketball next year because graduation will limit the squad to four players or less.

By the numbers

Wayne Gilman could win his 150th Greater Spokane League game tonight when the Ferris boys take on Gonzaga Prep at the Arena. Earlier this season, Central Valley coach Terry Irwin won his 200th GSL game (he’s now at 203) and Jim Preston of Mead won his 100th (he’s at 102). Gilman is five wins short of 400 for his career.

Shadle Park girls coach Linda Sheridan has 353 wins in her career. In league games, Dale Poffenroth of CV is at 106, and Mead’s Jeanne Helfer is three short of 150.

Mead’s Stacy Clinesmith has passed 1,000 points for her career. She’s at 1,089, eclipsing 1,000 when she scored 21 as the Panthers beat CV Jan. 12.

Curlew senior Joelle Kaatz eclipsed 1,000 points for her career when she scored 23 against St. George’s last Saturday. The weekend was indeed magical for the Cougars. Wes Paul passed the 1,000-point career mark on Friday.

Snow-bound

There are 34 area basketball games that need to be rescheduled because of snowouts.

The Frontier League, with 12 delayed games, has the most scrambling to do. League member Clarkston postponed four consecutive league games and went 17 days without playing.

The logjam created by rescheduled games can celed Tuesday’s elite girls non-league matchup between the top-ranked St. John-Endicott (16-0) and third-ranked Wilbur-Creston (16-1). W-C, missing leading scorer Jessica Martin, lost to SJE at home earlier in the year.

Elite group

Through Monday, the state was down to just eight unbeaten teams, including four in the Class B ranks.

The lustrous list includes Sehome, AAA boys; Mountain View, AAA girls; Blanchet, AA girls; Lynden Christian, A girls; Pateros and Toutle Lake, B boys; and Glenwood and SJE, B girls.

Leaving on top

Cheney High and Eastern Washington University graduate Juli Morgenstern resigned as Class A Rochester High girls coach last week despite having her team in first place.

Morgenstern attempted to void the resignation two days after its submission, but to no avail.

“I was basically convinced by people there were a lot of problems within the team … some turmoil,” Morgenstern told the Chronicle of Centralia. “I was told there were problems with the team and I was the cause.”

, DataTimes