Deserved Praise For Knights

At the end of the final Greater Spokane League football coaches meeting, Jim Clements had a few words.

The East Valley coach told his colleagues how much he and his team enjoyed its first year in the GSL, despite the hard knocks, hard lessons and hard losses.

The Knights went 1-7 in league play.

That, however, is deceptive. Only twice was EV buried, by Mead and Shadle Park, the two teams that played the longest this year.

Four of the losses were by four points or less.

After Clements spoke, another coach, whose team played EV late in the season, took a moment to tell Clements how impressed he was that despite a long, difficult season the Knights played tough for 48 minutes.

There could be no greater compliment.

“On behalf of the kids, I will say they hung in there,” Clements said. “I think every time we were on the field, they felt we had a chance to win.”

Inspiration and motivation

Richland has overcome more than Mt. Spokane and Mead in the State 4A football playoffs.

The Bombers were without their coach for those playoff games as well as their season-ending win over Southridge that gave them the Big Nine’s co-championship and top seed.

Richland coach Lonnie Pierson underwent prostate cancer surgery two weeks ago in Seattle.

“The way the system runs is it doesn’t change the way things run,” assistant Nate Holdren said after the 42-10 win over Mead. “But he is our inspirational leader. He gives the pep talks … that left a void.”

Pierson surprised the Bombers when he was waiting for them when they returned to school after the game at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick.

He probably won’t be on the sidelines at Lampson Stadium on Saturday when Shadle Park visits in the quarterfinals.

Moral support

It was a school night. It was cold. It was late.

But that didn’t stop the Shadle players from attending the season-ending game between Mead and Lewis and Clark - at Central Valley.

The Highlanders sat on the LC side.

It’s not that the Highlanders like Tigers more than Panthers, but in this cat fight they did.

An LC win would give Shadle the GSL championship and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

The Tigers noticed and appreciated the support.

LC won and Shadle Park has used its matchups to reach the quarterfinals of the State 4A playoffs.

Big bad Bombers

Shadle Park has its hands full against Richland.

The Bombers have the Big Nine co-defensive player of the year in 6-foot, 240-pound lineman Ryan Lukson and the coach of the year in Pierson.

Also, Richland has eight first-team All-Big Nine picks, including two unanimous, plus eight more second team or honorable mention.

Lukson shared the MVP award with Walla Walla linebacker Lucas Erwin.

GSL honors will be announced next week. It’s no secret Steve Gabriel, who should pass the 2,000-yard barrier against Richland - he has 1,990 - will be the offensive MVP and Mark Hester the coach of the year. Shadle was 0-9 last year.

The Highlanders will not have 18 picks. The GSL allows each team four nominations and one additional name for each league win. Shadle, with a 7-1 record, had 11 positions to nominate.

Amazing stat

On a final note, an LC assistant reported inside linebacker Forest Bohlen was in on 51 tackles in the Tigers’ 28-14 playoff loss against Walla Walla.

That’s close to impossible, but just as close to probable. Not only did it seem as if Bohlen’s name was announced on every play, the Blue Devils ran more than 60 plays to about 25 for the Tigers.

LC defensive coordinator Jeff Reyburn said the Tigers don’t bother with defensive statistics, but added, “He’s the best linebacker I’ve coached in high school.”