Here Are Some Teams For ‘90S

FROM SPORTS SECTION page C2 (Friday, September, 24, 1999): Replay Othello is defending 2A state high school football champion. A story in Thursday’s report incorrectly credited Orting.

Tidbits from the huddle:

The state’s team of the ‘90s will be determined this year and the finalists are running neck-and-neck.

Both O’Dea and Prosser have been nearly unbeatable this decade. Both schools started the year with just nine losses and both have good teams this season. A meeting in the Class 3A state title game between Prosser (95-9 this decade) and O’Dea (93-9) would be worth bragging rights for the winner.

Both have two wins so far.

The top area team is Reardan, No. 12 with a 73-20 record (.785). … No. 1 from the Greater Spokane League is Mead at 23rd overall, 67-23 (.744). … Cheney leads the Frontier League at 63-22-3 (.733) for 26th. … In 2A, it’s Pullman, 75th at 57-34-1 (.625). … Tops in 1A is Colfax, 63rd at 56-30 (.651). … Davenport of the B-11 is close behind Reardan at 25th, 68-23 (.747). … From B-8 is Odessa, 65-28 (.699) for 38th.

They all fall down

Defending state champion Pasco opened the season as everyone’s No. 1, but the Bulldogs lost to Richland 13-3. Wilson, the team Pasco beat for the 4A title, fell 27-7 to Curtis.

Pasco bounced back, whipping Kennewick 31-8. Wilson wasn’t as fortunate. The Rams faced 3A champion Capital, which is now a 4A team, and lost 21-12.

Also from the Big Nine, Southridge, a third-year school like Mt. Spokane, is off to a 2-0 start.

Moses Lake, just up from 3A and picked to finish 10th, opened with a 28-14 win over Davis. Kamiakin started fifth in most polls but the Braves fell to Richland 31-12 last week.

Hudson’s Bay, No. 1 in 3A preseason voting, and East ValleyYakima, No. 1 in 2A, both lost their openers. The other No. 1 teams in a majority of polls are Okanogan in 1A, Wahkiakum in B-11 and Touchet in B-8.

Defending 2A champ Orting led 3A Lakeside of Seattle 42-7 after one quarter of its season-opening game before winning 81-20.

Orting’s backfield duo of Marty Pettit (163 yards, four touchdowns) and Keith Smith (111 yards, three TDs) combined to average more than 17 yards a carry.

The only GSL team mentioned in any poll was Mt. Spokane, No. 10 in one ranking… . Cheney also earned a No. 10… . Pullman and Ritzville were No. 2… . The Associated Press poll does not start for another week.

In passing

Dick Armstrong, the state’s all-time winningest high school football coach, died just hours before the season opened.

Armstrong, a 1948 graduate of Concrete, coached 279 wins before retiring and becoming an assistant coach at his alma mater.

Armstrong, 69, died of an apparent heart attack.

Most of his career was spent at Snohomish, where the Panthers won state titles in 1976 and 78. With prior stops at Sultan and Camas, Armstrong had a career record of 279-92-5.

A memorial service was held Saturday at Snohomish Memorial Stadium.

Concrete went ahead with its season opener, but lost to King’s 20-0.

Fred Hare, a standout football player at Gonzaga Prep and Spokane Falls Community College in the 1960s, died unexpectedly Saturday in Seattle. He was 49.

Hare, who graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1968, was an All-City player as a linebacker and fullback. He also earned all-league honors at SFCC.

Services were Tuesday in Seattle. His cousin, Ray Hare, an assistant principal at Cheney, gave the eulogy.

Recruiting trail

Kentwood High School fullback Mike Karney has made an oral commitment to play football at Arizona State.

Karney, a 6-foot, 245-pounder, is the first of the top recruits in the state to make a decision. Teammate Ryan Scott, a 6-3, 185-pound receiver, said he would head to Penn State.

The top five recruits, according to one guru, are Dan Dicks, 6-6, 285, OL, Bellevue; Taylor Stubblefield, 6-1, 165, WR, Davis; Willie Walden, 6-8, 251, TE, Evergreen; Larry Stevens, 6-2, 220, WR-DB, Wilson; and Zach Tuiasosopo, 6-2, 220, LB-TE, Woodinville, brother of UW QB Marcus Tuiasosopo, and volleyball player Leslie Tuiasosopo.

This sidebar appeared with the story: FOOTBALL Big games

The best matchups in the Greater Spokane League are tonight at Albi Stadium with surprising Shadle Park (2-0) facing Mead (1-1) at 4:30, followed by University (2-0) against Gonzaga Prep (0-1) at 7:15.

Sandpoint at Cheney on Friday at 7 is a good Border League game.

Okanogan at Kettle Falls, a non-leaguer at 7:30, features two probable 1A playoff teams.