Region 4a Looks To Be Balanced Traveling Teams Figure To Have Work Cut Out As Road Has Been Hard Place To Win In The Past

Balance wasn’t just the buzz word of Greater Spokane League basketball coaches this year.

Big Nine basketball coaches used the same word to describe their league.

That makes the Lamb-Weston 4A Eastern Regional Tournament so interesting.

The 11th annual tournament starts tonight, with four cherished state berths on the line for both boys and girls.

Getting out of the regional, which only sent three teams to state in each of the previous three years, is usually harder than placing at state.

Since the regional started in 1988, 36 teams have gone to state for boys and girls. The boys have returned with 19 trophies, 12 to Spokane; the girls have won 28 trophies, 18 by the GSL.

Last year, the Ferris boys were second out of the regional and third at state while the CV girls were third out of regional and second at state.

Those two teams are involved in the most intriguing first-round regional matchups this year.

Ferris (18-4) goes to Yakima to face Davis (16-6) and Central Valley (19-3) is at Pasco to face Richland (20-2).

The first seven regionals and the last one were in Spokane after the first-round games were split. For the third time, the regional moves to the Tri-Cities for the weekend games.

“We found out … we enjoyed a great advantage having the bulk of tournament here all those years,” Ferris coach Wayne Gilman said. “We haven’t traveled before. People who have traveled know it’s a pretty hard road to hoe. People who travel will be severely challenged. You have to handle a hostile crowd and take care of the ball against pressure.”

It’s hard to compare scores since GSL teams only had two non-league games, so there were only 19 matchups with Big Nine teams. The boys went 3-7, the girls 2-7. In games involving regional qualifiers, the boys were 0-2, the girls 1-2.

That makes it necessary to run through the Big Nine.

Boys

1. Richland (19-3) vs. Gonzaga Prep (9-14), at Pasco, 7:30 p.m.: Both teams are making their sixth regional appearance, tied for fourth among the participants. But while the Bombers are the defending regional champion, Prep hasn’t been since 1994.

The Bombers could be without first-team all-league point guard David Lehrschall, who was injured late in a first-round district tournament game. Even with the three-year starter on the bench, Richland destroyed Davis 82-67 by hitting 12 of 20 3-pointers.

Lehrschall, third in the Big Nine at 15.8 points per game, saw a doctor Monday night to determine the extent of an ankle injury. Steve Mortimer, a 6-3 junior all-league forward, averages 12.8 ppg, and Kevin McClelland, another 6-3 forward, averaged 10.8. Jeff Oliver, a 5-9 guard, picked up the slack for Lehrschall with 22 points against Davis.

Prep lost at Walla Walla by 21 and Wenatchee by 20.

2. Davis (16-6) vs. Ferris (18-4), at Eisenhower, 7:30 p.m.: The Pirates are led by 6-7, 270-pound freshman Josh Williams and 6-0 sophomore guard Taylor Stubblefield. They were 1-2 in league scoring at 17.15 and 17.12 ppg, respectively, and first-team all-league picks.

Williams is the nephew of co-coach Shag Williams, a former Davis and University of Washington standout.

Rawkey Guy, a 6-foot senior, averaged 12.6 points in 14 games, but since coming back from an ankle injury is averaging 16.5 in four games. Also in double figures are 6-4 junior guard Aaron Anderson (11.7) and 6-4 junior forward Tahvio Gratton (11.3).

All six of Davis’ losses have been on the road.

Ferris is tied for second with eight regional appearances while Davis is in its fifth and second straight after a six-year drought.

3. Wenatchee (17-5) vs. Lewis and Clark (16-7) at EWU, 6 p.m.: Both teams are in their fourth regional. The Panthers are led by Big Nine Player of the Year Josh Cooprider, a 5-11 senior point guard, who was fourth in the Big Nine at 15.5 ppg. Senior guard Jack Nebel adds 11 ppg.

4. Walla Walla (14-8) vs. Central Valley (18-4), at EWU, 7:30 p.m.: The Blue Devils have been one of the hottest teams since 6-6 post Jared Jones finished his football recruiting trips.

Walla Walla, making its first regional trip since 1991, is coached by Jim Thacker, son of legendary CV coach Ray Thacker. Jones and junior guard Kyle Bankhead were second-team all-league picks.

CV leads all teams with nine regional trips.

Girls

1. Kamiakin (20-2) vs. Lewis and Clark (10-13), at Southridge HS, 7:30 p.m.: The Braves, in their 10th regional, are gunning for a fifth straight title after winning their seventh straight district title. They lost the season-opener at CV and split with Richland during the regular season, then destroyed the Bombers for the district title as 6-foot junior post Emily Autrey scored 31 points, matching Richland’s team total.

Autrey and 6-0 Erin Anglesey, a junior, who averages 9.9 points, give Kamiakin a dominating inside presence.

LC is at its sixth regional, but first since 1993.

2. Richland (20-2) vs. Central Valley (19-3) at Pasco, 6 p.m.: Julie Vanni, a 5-11 senior, and Meggen Kautzky, a 5-7 junior, averaged 14.3 and 13.6 ppg to earn all-league honors. Hope Solo, a 5-8 junior, who was a Parade All-American soccer player, adds 10.2 ppg for the Bombers.

CV has never missed a regional, Richland is in its fifth.

3. Wenatchee (16-6) vs. Ferris (18-4), at GU, 6 p.m.: The Panthers are led by Big Nine MVP Jennifer Schooler, a cat-quick, 5-4 guard, who averaged 12.6 ppg. Cheryl Sparks a 5-7 senior, chips in 10.2 ppg.

The Saxons are at the regional for the fourth time, Wenatchee for the sixth.

4. Kennewick (13-9) vs. Mead (18-5), at GU, 7:30 p.m.: The Lions, who beat LC by 21, are making their fifth appearance at regional, but have never been to state, winning just one game. Heather Toelke averaged 11.9 ppg to earn first-team all-league honors. Mead has only missed one regional.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: REGION IV 4A

Boys Today Gonzaga Prep (9-14) vs. Richland (19-3) at Pasco HS, 7:30 p.m. Ferris (18-4) vs. Davis (16-6) at Eisenhower HS, 7:30 p.m. Wenatchee (17-5) vs. Lewis and Clark (16-7) at EWU, 6 p.m. Walla Walla (14-8) vs. Central Valley (18-4) at EWU, 7:30 p.m.

Girls Today Lewis and Clark (10-13) vs. Kamiakin (20-2) at Southridge HS, 7:30 p.m. Central Valley (19-3) vs. Richland (20-2) at Pasco HS, 6 p.m. Wenatchee (16-6) vs. Ferris (18-4) at GU, 6 p.m. Kennewick (13-9) vs. Mead (18-5) at GU, 7:30 p.m.