CV boys unbeaten against GSL competitors

There is a certain enigmatic quality about the noncounting basketball teams among Greater Spokane League schools.

Are they an indicator of things to come when the league officially begins Jan. 4? Or are coaches using them to get a feel for their players, meaning all bets are off after the holidays.

Central Valley’s boys are a case in point. Picked no higher than sixth place by all but one GSL coach in preseason polling, the traditionally strong Bears program hasn’t missed a beat.

Though young, they are off to a 4-1 start and are unbeaten against GSL foes following last week’s 60-38 and 67-52 wins over Rogers and Post Falls.

The latest player with the hot hand is 6-foot-4 sophomore forward Nick Ambrose who scored 13 points against the Pirates and a season-high 18 against the Trojans.

He leads the Bears in scoring with a 12.0 average to Braden Jensen‘s 10.4. Three others, including freshman Luke Clift, are scoring between 8.2 and 9.6 points per game.

Clift had 16 against Post Falls, his second double-figures effort this year.

The Bears are back in action Friday at Lewis and Clark and complete preseason Monday at Gonzaga Prep. Two weeks later the counters begin.

The pieces are starting to fall in place for East Valley which won for the second time on Tuesday. Knights cross country star Nick Atwood joined the lineup and scored 32 points in two games – 15 in a 71-64 loss in Cheney and 17 in Tuesday’s 67-52 win over North Central.

He’s one of four double-figures scorers for a high-scoring team. Dylan Sattin leads with an 18.6 average, and post Jared Smith has scored 49 points in the team’s last two wins. Smith and Jye Lanphere are averaging nearly 13.0 per game.

Unbeaten West Valley continues to test the 3A waters with a game Friday in Clarkston. The Eagles are 5-0 and Tyler Hobbs has been on a tear. He’s averaging 15.8 points per game, one of three players in double figures. Arton Touissaint (12.6) and EJ Richardson (11.8) are the others.

University’s Inderbir Gill scored a career-high 31 points against Post Falls in an 82-53 romp that evened the Titan record at 2-2. He is now averaging 16.2 per game, behind team leader Calvin Jurich‘s 19.8. Jurich had 23 Tuesday against Rogers.

Newcomer Kyle Olson, with 10 3-point baskets last week (14 for the year) is the third leading scorer. He arrived at U-Hi via Valley Christian School and Freeman.

Close one for Knights girls

East Valley’s girls basketball team stands at 3-2 after last week edging Cheney, 38-36, before losing to unbeaten North Central in a noncounting 3A preview 64-41 on Tuesday.

The Knights broke out long enough, outscoring Cheney 15-12 in the third quarter, and had a 13-6 advantage in free throws.

Lauren Conard, who had scored just one point in three previous games, shared high-point honors for EV with eight.

Unbeaten University completes its nonleague schedule Friday at Ferris after waltzing through six opponents to date. Included were back-to-back 93-pont outbursts last week against West Valley and Rogers. Overall, sophomore Angie Bjorklund leads scoring with a 17.3 average. Her older sister, Jami, is scoring at a 21.0 clip against GSL teams and is 15.7 overall. Emily Kuipers is averaging over 10.

Central Valley (3-1) takes on unbeaten Lewis and Clark Friday in a good indicator of progress. Heidi Heintz broke out at Hanford last week with 20 points and leads the team with a 12-point scoring average.

WV is still looking for its first win.

Knights face tough week

If the thought of competing in Friday and Saturday’s talent-laden Tri-State Tournament isn’t daunting enough, East Valley wrestlers must first negotiate a difficult GSL week.

The Knights faced improved Mt. Spokane on Wednesday and travel to Central Valley tonight.

CV finished third in league last year behind EV and University, and had a strong second-place showing, behind the Knights, last weekend in the Inland Empire Classic at CV.

“It will be kind of nice for us to see where we stand after this week,” said EV coach Craig Hanson.

The Knights had 11 placers, eight of them finalists. Champions were seniors Joe Plumb at 112 pounds and Fred Arnold, at 160. Finishing second were Shelby Lawson (103), Matt Hanson (140), Bryce Fisher (145), Jordan Jolley (171), Tyler Jolley (215) and Chris Helm (275). Jared Imes (135) was third, sophomore Dan Michalski (189) was fourth, and freshman Clete Hanson fifth at 152.

CV’s Camren Ebat won the 152-pound class and Lucas Chesher lost by a point in the 125-pound final. Both had post-season success last year, but new faces had a big hand in the team’s finish.

Among the comethroughs were Tanner Teeples, who beat fifth-place teammate Nick Cambron on the way to third at 103 pounds. Jeff Croskrey (130), Joe Alderman (140) and Justin Farwell (160) finished third, Geoff Palachuck (135) and Tyler Stratton (171) were fourth and Tyler Cochran (215) was fifth.

University led all schools at the tournament with four champions: Freshman Brian Owen (103), with four wins either by pin or technical fall; defending state champion Cory Fish (119); state third placer Jeremy Montang (145), and Jon Sahlberg (171). Tyler Goss, who lost to Montang in the semifinals, was third, Elliott Nay (130) was fourth, Nick Zumwalt (152), Codee Allen (215) and Nick Rose (275) were sixth.

West Valley had sixth places from Nick Degenhardt (145) and Keith Johnston (135).

CV’s top five list

Central Valley in a rare occurrence, had the first five all-around performances, which accounted for the team’s 164.5 to 151.6 victory over Lakeside in its season gymnastics opener last week.

Maya Morgan won three of four events and scored 34.7. Maria Alderman won floor exercise at 9.15 and was second in the other three events, vault, balance beam and uneven bars, for a 34.05 total. Courtney Sexton (32.55), Melissa Hussey (32.5), and Mackenzie Lawrence (30.4) completed the all-around sweep.

University finished behind Mead 171.91 to 160.8. Kayla McGahey was fourth all-around at 34.6. McGahey won uneven bars with a 9.05 score.

The Bears square off against Mead tonight, 6:30 p.m., in an early showdown at Lewis and Clark.