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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sarah Coleman Deserves Respect

Morton’s 5-foot-10 senior center, Sarah Coleman, has always played big in the State B tournament. But she never did draw the media’s eye the way Jennifer Stinson, Kari Hutchinson and Andee Schmick have in recent years. If there is a Rodney Dangerfield in the bunch, it is Coleman.

In her last game Saturday, she scored 20 points grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out four assists to climb to sixth in scoring, seventh in rebounding and 10th in assists in State B history.

After all that, and earning a spot on a BCI All-American team at Tempe, Ariz., this past summer, Coleman still doesn’t have the college recruiters knocking on her door.

Morton coach Jay Henderson, a Spokane native, said Coleman will likely walk on at the University of Oregon.

“It’s kind of a shame,” Henderson said. “She’s a solid player, a great person, but for whatever, these people still feel she has something to prove.”

It’s the shoes

One would think if anyone could afford to send their child to a private school, like St. George’s, they could probably afford to buy that child a better pair of shoes than $25 canvas Chuck Taylor’s.

The old Converse classics are the shoes of choice for the Dragons’ girls basketball team. However, according to St. George’s coach Ross Thomas, financial considerations have nothing to do with it.

St. George’s has been wearing Chuck Taylor’s for three years. For three straight seasons before that, Thomas had various players undergo 19 different knee operations.

“People say that women are playing the game harder today, and that’s why they are suffering more injuries. Well, men are playing it harder to, and they are suffering more knee injuries as well,” he said.

“Over the years, what’s changed the most about the game? It’s the shoes.”

Thomas saw an orthopedist, who told him because today’s sneakers provide so much foot and ankle support, the shoes don’t allow the foot to move.

“Support is good, but too much support holds everything in place. And when you’re moving around the way you do on a basketball court, you’re legs do a lot of quirky things.

“You never heard of Jerry West or Oscar Robertson tearing an anterior cruciate ligament, did you?”

Like father, like son

St. George’s Thomas is a quote machine. Sharp, witty, observant and he doesn’t pull punches.

His genes have clearly been passed along to his 13-year-old son, Pat.

Pat was hanging around outside the Dragons’ locker room Wednesday night after they beat King’s West, 64-51, in the first round.

After it was noted St. George’s shot 27 for 77 from the floor, Pat whirled and said, “That’s pathetic.”

Ross’ response:

“Hey, he said it, not me.”

Wishkah look-a-likes

OK, maybe its just me, but isn’t former Wishkah Valley center Sissel Pierce the spitting image of actress Shelly Duvall as Olive Oil in the movie “Popeye?”

And correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Wishkah coach Rick McDougall look like Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo?

Best player names at the B

- Poppy Richart, Morton

- Nettie Heytvelt, Pomeroy

- Chante Schutz, Rainier

- Miranda Routh-Corker, St. George’s

- Yuuki Terada, Summit

A Sunny surprise

Win or lose in the championship game, Sunnyside Christian’s effort in the playoffs has been remarkable.

“No one expected us to be here,” coach Al Smeenk said. “We’ve used that as a motivator.”

Even though Sunnyside had nothing to lose, Smeenk said his players were nervous in their first two games.

, DataTimes