Mead Basketball Team Determining Destiny
It’s a cliche, true, but an apt one when Mead boys basketball coach Jim Preston said, “We control our own fate, especially getting up to second place.”
At the time, the fourth place Greater Spokane League Panthers were preparing to travel to second place Lewis and Clark, a team they had lost to by three points earlier in the year.
Remaining on the schedule were playoff hopefuls Gonzaga Prep, winners of five straight games, and Rogers, Ferris and North Central.
“There’s not an easy game left,” said Preston. “But we have the ability to win any of them.”
True to prediction, the Panthers handed LC its second loss in two nights and Tuesday night ended Gonzaga Prep’s streak. They entered the week tied for third, one game behind Ferris.
“Right now I’m happy with what’s going on,” said Preston. “The guards are progressing and most in the league said if they got it done, we’d be competitive.”
Mead has plenty of size. The Panthers have a roster with five players between 6-foot-6 and 6-8.
Tom Castillo has willingly come off the bench to spell Jason Galles and Brian Wolverton. All three are doubles figures scorers this year.
Wolverton, Mead’s tallest player, has had a solid season.
“He’s in double figures in rebounds and points and has been a real factor in blocked shots,” said Preston.
Of late, however, Mead’s guards have been tough. Mark Stenerson is currently the team’s leading scorer.
Andy Stone had a career high 21 points to help beat the Tigers.
As a result, Mead is 11-4 in league and within striking distance of the leaders in what Preston said is the strongest league, top to bottom, in recent years.
“We say every year there’s balance, but this season it’s scary,” he said.
The results have borne him out. NC, 7-8 and fighting for its playoff life, has gone to overtime twice with league leader CV, winning once and lost by a point Tuesday to Rogers. The Indians have the league’s top two scorers.
Rogers, 9-6 and in fifth place, has lost six games to the league’s top three, five by a total of 12 points and the other in overtime.
Prep has beaten league runnerup Ferris and last week toppled NC to reverse an earlier outcome.
It’s nice to have fate in your own hands. This season it’s an onerous responsibility.
Regional wrestling qualifiers
Rogers has but two qualifiers to the Region IV wrestling tournament in Yakima this weekend, but both are district champions.
Ben Houk dominated the 108-pound classification with two technical falls and a pin. Marshall Sims pinned his way to the 275-pound final, beating North Central’s Dereck Phillips, 7-0, with five third-period points.
Until then, the two athletes had battled mightily in Saturday night’s final bout at Mt. Spokane High.
NC won just two dual matches during the GSL wrestling season, but the Indians join Mead with six qualifiers apiece.
Included were three finalists: 190-pound champion David Sandberg and second-place finishers Tony Beggs at 129 pounds and Phillips.
Sandberg pinned his way to the finals, then rallied from a 9-2 deficit to win the title.
Joining them in Yakima are teammates Morgan Ball at 101, Nick Stuart at 115, and Jeremy Shay, 141, who all placed fourth.
Mead regional qualifiers include 141-pound champion Keith Riddle and runnersup Mark Denholm, 115, and Travis Smith, 215.
Riddle reached the finals in a semifinal thriller over LC’s Derek Johnson. Trailing 5-2 when Johnson got a takedown in the waning seconds, Riddle scrambled for a reversal and near fall with five seconds left to advance. He won the title with an easy 8-3 decision.
Panther Jesse McCarty was third at 122, Tony Curtis, 148, and John Potter, 168, took fourth.
Shadle Park’s entrant is Kevin Olson, who finished third at 178.
Gonzaga Prep dominated the meet, scoring 304 points and qualifying a dozen to regionals, the most in school history.
Included were champions Chris Montgomery, 115, Nick Bliss, 158, Travis Pascoe, 168, Kyle Gleason, 178, and second-place finisher Sean Malone at 135.
In several instances, more than one Bullpup advanced in a weight class. Paul Koehler lost to Bliss in the 158-pound semifinals, but went on to place third.
Tim Ulmen, fourth, joins Malone at 135. Chris Healy and Rudy Cavasier were third and fourth, respectively, at 129.
Louis Peyron finished third at 108, Wyatt Treat was a surprising fourth at 190 and Doug O’Coyne took fourth at 215.
Gymnastics athletes advance
North Central has qualified its team for this weekend’s Region IV gymnastics meet in Kennewick.
The Indians finished fourth at Friday’s meet and will contest the top three GSL finishers and Big Nine champion Pasco, which unseated seven-time champ Kamiakin in a league meet.
The Indians team will be joined by 14 other North Side athletes who will participate.
Freshman Amber Baines, third all-around, and teammate Heidi McCullough, on vault and uneven bars, were top 10 finishers.
Mead’s Marki Stewart, a top 10 finisher on bar and beam, also qualified all-around, along with Shadle Park’s Mary Bass and Mt. Spokane’s Kristen Halverson.
Shadle advances six gymnasts, Rogers four, Mead three and Mt. Spokane two.
Highlander’s Jennifer Gavin and Mead’s Ciarra Mylnar will compete in all four events.
Contests of note
Mead’s girls basketball team, which is tied with Central Valley and Ferris for first place in the Greater Spokane League, will play the Saxons Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. in a big Arena game. Top two league finishers automatically qualify for regionals.
District 2A wrestling is Saturday at 11 a.m. at Medical Lake. Lakeside High has 23 entrants and coach Scott Jones said he is hoping at least 13 qualify for state.
Lakeside’s girls are at Riverside at 6 p.m. on Saturday. An Eagle win would give them a two-game lead. The Rams can tie for first with victory.
, DataTimes