Plans In Place For Basketball Tie-Breakers
Shadle Park activities coordinator Randy Ryan played Boy Scout on Monday.
The Greater Spokane League basketball coordinator was trying to be prepared for all the different ties the league might have to break when the regular season ends Thursday night.
Ryan could have gambled, waiting until after tonight’s games when the playoff picture could come into sharper focus, but then it might be too late to secure sites and all the personnel needed to handle the games.
There is only one possibility in the girls’ standings and that would be a three-way tie for first if Central Valley beats Mead tonight.
Should the Bears win the 5:30 game at the Arena, CV, Mead and Ferris would probably end 14-2 in league play.
Since the top two seeds earn a bye in the first round of the district tournament and get an automatic berth in regional, the tie would have to be broken on the court with one game Friday and another Saturday.
If Mead wins, the Panthers would win the league and CV would drop to the third seed.
On the boys’ side, there is still a chance for a three-way tie for second. For that to happen, CV must beat Mead in today’s 3:45 game at the Arena. Then Mead would have to beat University on Thursday and Lewis and Clark would have to beat Ferris tonight at 7:15 at the Arena and beat North Central Thursday. If Mead wins and LC loses tonight, the Panthers are second.
The winner of tonight’s 6:15 game between Shadle Park and Gonzaga Prep at Prep has the inside track for a district berth. Both are a half-game ahead of idle University for the sixth and final district berth.
The Shadle-Prep loser drops into a tie with U-Hi for sixth. Thursday, University is at Mead, Prep is at Rogers and Shadle Park plays league champion Ferris at Spokane Falls Community College. A three-way tie is still possible.
Two-way ties for first, third, fourth and fifth are broken by regular-season results. The winner of the second matchup of the season gets the higher seed.
Belated kudos
With so many playoff possibilities, Ferris’ GSL boys title was somewhat overlooked.
The Saxons have a four-game bulge over Mead and if it stays that way, it would be the biggest gap between first and second since 1987 when undefeated Ferris finished four games ahead of Mead.
Shadle Park won the 1981 league title by five games over Mead.
Ferris has won or shared the GSL title seven times in coach Wayne Gilman’s 13 years.
Hit the beach
Gonzaga Prep volleyball star Brandi Barratt has signed a letter of intent with national power Long Beach State.
“That’s the place to go for volleyball like Portland is for soccer,” Barratt said. “Also, they don’t have football so volleyball is the fall sport.”
She also considered Penn State, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Texas.
“I did go to Washington State, that’s where my mom and dad both went,” she said, “but I just wanted to get out.”
Another thing that attracted Barratt was professional beach volleyball. Although LBSU players cannot get paid, they participate in a pro league after the season.
The 49ers, who only had one senior this past season, also have a new arena.
Mat madness
The Eastern AAA regional wrestling tournament finally gets underway today at 10 a.m. at Walla Walla. The tournament, originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, was postponed because of flooding.
Now the meet has been compacted into a one-day event, with the top four in each weight having to turn around and head for the state meet in Tacoma beginning Friday.
Championship matches are expected to start about 6 p.m. today.
Sheridan still hospitalized
Long-time Shadle Park girls basketball and volleyball coach Linda Sheridan remains hospitalized.
She is suffering from a virus and high temperature and needs her rest. Cards for Sheridan can be sent to the school. She is not seeing visitors at the current time.
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