East Valley Will Stay With Frontier League
Yielding to the wishes of parents and students, the East Valley school board voted Tuesday night to remain in the Frontier League for the next two years rather than enter the Greater Spokane League.
It took some change of minds, if not hearts, to make the decision unanimous.
“Several weeks ago I would have voted to go into the GSL,” school board member Karl Wilkinson told parents at the meeting. “Your feedback changed my mind.”
Both board president June Sine and member Karen Cecil said, in their hearts, entering the GSL was the best course of action.
“I believe that we would compete well and that we would rise to the occasion,” said Sine.
Because of increased enrollment, East Valley had begun preparing two years ago to enter the GSL.
A statewide change from four to five sports classifications, beginning next fall, allowed EV the chance to delay the move for another two years.
Prior to the vote, a group of primarily track and cross country parents and students reiterated their stand that EV athletes do not want to move up to the GSL and will not be able to compete there.
“My youngest two boys were on championship baseball teams,” said parent and teacher Jim Stookey. “Could they have done that in the GSL? I don’t think so.”
Stookey said although his daughter would welcome the change, “In my humble opinion, we should stay where we are.”
Pam Curtis, whose daughters run track and cross country, presented a graphic that showed nine coaches - including football, boys basketball, boys and girls track and cross country - supported remaining in the Frontier League.
Six coaches - including wrestling, volleyball, softball, baseball and girls basketball - were ready to change.
Volleyball coach Jim Dorr, who in two years has compiled a 27-3 record and qualified for state twice, said, “If we keep telling our kids they’re not good enough, they never will be.”
But Wilkinson, in his preliminary remarks, said the board must be responsive to parents.
“We asked for feedback and it was overwhelming that we wait until the numbers say to move,” he said. “It seems to me we probably should.”
NWC advances in soccer
Matt Heeter scored thrice Wednesday to lift Northwest Christian to a 3-0 victory over Sunnyside Christian in the qualifying round of the State A/B boys soccer tournament at Kennewick.
NWC (13-3-2) advances to the state quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Saturday against Wahluke (8-1-2). Wahluke beat St. George’s 2-0 in the night’s other match.
NWC beat Wahluke last year to qualify for the state semifinals.
This and that
Overlooked in all the confusion surrounding reclassification, a rule was passed by the WIAA last spring allowing a state championship for any sport as long as at least 24 schools are participating. Next year look for state tournaments in B boys and girls golf, tennis and cross country, girls soccer and wrestling.
As many have probably noticed, the new sponsor of statewide playoffs is Dairy Farmers of Washington. U.S. Bank ended its nine-year sponsorship of WIAA state events, preferring, presumably, to spend its money on really bad advertisements involving a pair of college football coaches.
Quarterback Drew Miller of Lakes in Tacoma ended his career with 331 yards passing in a playoff loss Tuesday. However, he finished with 8,988 yards in his career, just passing former Eatonville standout Bobby Lucht (8,933) for the most yardage in state history.
Puyallup beat crosstown rival Rogers in a football game before 6,200 fans last Thursday. When the two schools were matched up for a playoff game Tuesday, 10,300 attended.
The 324 yards rolled up by Mike Dorton of Rogers last week, the No. 2 game in Spokane history, is just No. 2 in the state this year, topped by the 357 of North Kitsap’s Brad Hilse.
Winter sports practices begin Monday.
, DataTimes