Wv’s Gregorak Going Buff: ‘Colorado Is The Spot For Me’
Forced to choose from among nearly a dozen football scholarship offers, West Valley linebacker Ty Gregorak’s decision to attend the University of Colorado was easy in the end.
“I loved it there, loved their style of football,” said Gregorak. “That’s where I want to go.”
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Gregorak is expected to play middle linebacker.
“Basically it’s a tackle-to-tackle style which suits me better than a weak- or strong-side style,” he said.
At WV Gregorak was asked to do more gambling and at times found himself guessing wrong and out of position. As such, some coaches in the league weren’t impressed even though he averaged 10 tackles per game.
The Eagle four-year starter said he has been nominated for four or five prep All-American teams. He was named one of the top 100 college prospects by Western 100 publication, and listed in Tacoma’s Northwest Nugget publication. He is a nominee for the area’s Flaherty Scholarship, awarded by the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Football League Hall of Fame.
Gregorak will go to Boulder for spring drills with the Buffaloes and spend a month there this summer working with the strength coach and learning the defenses.
He said he will live with this year’s graduating middle linebacker Matt Russell, who won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.
Gregorak narrowed his choices down to three schools, including Stanford and Ohio State, from 11 that offered him scholarships.
“I just told them them I think Colorado is the spot for me,” said Gregorak.
The decision took a load off his mind, Gregorak said. “Now I can get on with life. I’m glad I was in that boat, but it started to take its toll.”
Let the games begin
The pre-season shouting is over. Let the Frontier League basketball games begin.
East Valley got a jump on the rest of the league when the boys and girls hosted and lost to pre-season favorite Cheney teams Tuesday night. The Knights are in Pullman on Friday.
Fridays and Saturdays for the next 1 months will be taken up with boys and girls competition.
Boys league will be particularly competitive. To date five of the league’s seven teams have breakeven or better records.
West Valley, winners of its abbreviated Holiday Classic, improved to 5-2. The Eagles open at home against Riverside (1-6) on Friday.
Josh Sweet and Vinnie Pecht have accounted for 31 points per game between them, Sweet twice scoring over 30 for his 18.6 average.
Three others, Jade Cole, Aaron Mortensen and Austin Gerrells, are scoring eight points per game each.
The Knights, despite a 1-5 record, have had 20 points per game production from Brad Wilson in six games, James Spotted Horse in four and Troy Hansen in his last three games.
Like last year at this time, Spotted Horse has sat out two games for disciplinary reasons.
The Eagle and Knight girls will chase unbeaten and overwhelming favorite Cheney.
WV won its last five pre-season games for a 5-2 record.
The Knights have broken even in six games. Sophomore Rebecca Triplett and junior April Tomblin have been EV’s most consistent scorers.
Eagle strength has been depth and experience. Half a dozen players have scored in double figures at one time or another this year, including Keisha Sowers who has done so five times.
She had 20 in last week’s 56-53 win over Post Falls.
CV hosts gymnastics showdown
Central Valley is the site tonight of a gymnastics meet involving the Greater Spokane League’s top three teams.
If things go right, Ryan Heaton said things will be calmer around home. His wife, Stacey Heaton, coaches University’s 9-0 Titans. They barely escaped current runnerup Ferris (8-1) the last time the two met.
In the wings are the 7-2 Bears.
If University wins, it will have a two meet lead. With only one more meeting each against the Saxons and CV, the coach can relax a bit.
A loss will keep things tense around home right through the Jan. 30 finale against Ferris.
Wrestlers win titles
Local wrestlers won championships during last weekend’s Pacific Northwest Classic Tournament at University High School.
The Titans finished third behind Corvallis, Mt. and Gonzaga Prep. East Valley finished fourth.
U-Hi 115-pounder Jared Osborn beat two-time state runnerup Jon Rugan of Mead 18-6 for that championship. Teammate Andy Roberts won by technical fall at 135 pounds.
EV 158-pounder Rusty Ruchert captured his title by pin and Tristan Beeman was the 190-pound champion.
Finalists included Gordon Bash at 108 pounds. He lost by major decision to Prep’s Chris Montgomery.
Nick Bliss, 148 of Gonzaga, Sam Butler 168 of U-Hi and Rob Gillespie 178 of EV were other runners-up.
Finishing third were Titan 122-pounder Conor Jordan and EV 135-pounder Quinton Chapman.
Knight Brad Crockett was fourth at 141.
, DataTimes