U-Hi Kicks Off Football Season With Game Tonight
High school football, for those with difficulty waiting, is back.
University High School gets things going in the Greater Spokane League debut against Shadle Park at 5 p.m. today at Joe Albi Stadium.
The Highlanders, rebuilding their offensive line, finished last season with a 6-2 record and placed second in the tautly contested race.
The Titan defense faces a team using a throwback full-house T formation, with its two tight end line and incredibly deceptive misdirection offense keying off a fullback.
On Friday, burly Central Valley tests its favorite’s status against Ferris at Albi at 5:45 p.m. The Saxons are still waiting for their breakthrough season for coach Clarence Hough.
In non-league games, East Valley hosts defending Idaho big-school state champion Lewiston.
The physical Knights slugged it out toe-to-toe up front against CV at the Valley jamboree last Friday.
Aggressive, if line-thin, West Valley is at Medical Lake and Freeman renews its games with former Bi-County League rival Liberty.
But those aren’t the only Valley athletes who’ll be on the gridiron. A team’s worth of locals are on the Gonzaga Prep roster, many of them who will see action when Prep opens the season against Lewis and Clark Friday night.
Kevin O’Connell returns for his third season at quarterback.
“We expect a big year out of him,” said Anderson. “He’s a good, hard-nosed runner who has really improved his throwing.”
One target will be Valley wide receiver-defensive back Shane Hartnett.
Tight end Doug O’Coyne, linebacker Sean Thacker, linemen Matt Betts, Chris and Ryan Gum, John Blakesley and Nick Bliss are all Valley residents.
Bliss was moved to the defensive line this year from running back. Thacker, late turning out, won’t be ready to play until the second game.
Gonzaga’s football team faces a dilemma. The Bullpups return a group of superb players, a reason they’re considered among the league favorites.
They also lack the depth that coach Don Anderson says breeds internal competition and improvement.
“We have some seniors who are playing for a third year and are counting on them,” said Anderson. “But our style is two-platoon football and we’ve been kind of hampered getting numbers on the field.”
The problem is a smaller-thanusual junior class. Gonzaga’s varsity is a mix of seniors and sophomores, unusual for Anderson.
Senior wide receivers Kelvin Bacon, Chris Shogan tight end Tony Valentine and running back Damien Ramirez can all catch the ball.
Also in the offensive backfield will be Shane Wharton, who played defensive line last year out of necessity, and Brandon Kendall.
Seniors Sean O’Connor, who played defense, and Zach Yarborough, who played tight end, are now in the offensive line, along with veteran, Dominic Severino and junior center Tom Treloar.
Hartnett and Ramirez are two-way performers, both in the defensive backfield. They’ll be joined by returning starters Jeremy Rash and Tom Black, veteran Matt McIntyre, junior Garth Erickson and sophomore Matt Cronin.
Junior Kyle Gleason returns at linebacker, joined by seniors Kevin Cronin, junior Ryan Clifford and sophomore transfer Travis Pascoe.
Defensive linemen are Ben Coffman, newcomers sophomore Will Tombari, juniors Mike Bradley and Eli Hansen.
This will be Anderson’s last season after a quarter century of GSL dominance. Gonzaga Prep has won 14 league championships and reached the state finals five times, winning two titles.
“This is my last hurrah,” said Anderson. “The time has come. I want to enjoy everything that happened and have the energy to work in an unknown future.”
The Bullpups have a chance to make it a happy ending.
, DataTimes