Knights will put corrective measures to the test tonight
East Valley’s football team has had little time to correct the mistakes endemic to a season opener. But correct them, coach Adam Fisher said, they will.
“We saw some major breakdowns on our end and will correct them for game two,” he emphasized. “Obviously we want the outcome to be different. But we have a very short week and it’s a league game.”
The Knights had four days to get ready for Gonzaga Prep, which they play at 4:30 p.m. today at Albi Stadium in the Greater Spokane League opener for both.
The Bullpups beat Bellarmine Prep 9-6 last week in their nonleague game. EV lost 35-14 to Coeur d’Alene in a game Vikings coach Shawn Amos said was closer than the score. It was his team’s second game.
“It helps to have a game under your belt,” said Amos. “It’s just easier after you’ve been through it. You don’t make the first-game mistakes.”
East Valley’s visible mistakes actually weren’t greater than the visitors’, just more costly. The teams combined for 20 penalties for 180 yards (EV had 11 for 85) and four turnovers, two apiece. Both EV turnovers led to Vikings’ scores.
And, said Fisher, “all our positions at times just had lapses on both sides of the ball.”
There were missed blocking assignments and pursuit breakdowns that put the team’s offense and defense “under duress” said Fisher. One came on an errant Coeur d’Alene pitch play that wound up going for a first down at the 4-yard line and ultimately a touchdown.
“They had the ball on the ground, it bounces twice and he goes for 38 yards,” said Fisher. “That’s inexcusable and will be fixed.”
Key for the Knights in this afternoon’s game will be how effective the corrective measures are and the health of the Knights, who had four players leave the game with injuries.
In the nightcap, University plays Ferris. The other Valley teams got first-game jitters out of the way as well.
The Titans seek to bounce back from a 31-7 loss to Lake City. Most of U-Hi’s 123 yards of offense came on two passes to tight end Brandon Blaska that totaled 77 yards and produced the touchdown.
On Friday, Central Valley hosts Mead and West Valley is at Cheney. The Bears lost 28-0 to Sandpoint, Tommy Kadoya rushing for 76 of the Bears 169 total yards. Mitch Phillips and Phil Gannon gained a combined 82 rushing yards of WV’s 158 total.
Fall sports in full swing
Football and GSL volleyball got an early start. This week the rest of the sports begin in earnest.
League title contender University hosts Shadle Park in a key volleyball game tonight. Both teams won last week’s openers, the Titans beating East Valley.
West Valley, despite replacing much of its lineup, opened the season victorious against Rogers. The Eagles host Lewis and Clark tonight while Central Valley is home against defending state champion Mead and EV is in Clarkston.
Cross country teams test themselves Saturday in the annual All-Valley meet at Liberty Lake County Park.
Soccer opened the season on Wednesday with a veteran East Valley team at University. The Titans are among the league favorites. Central Valley hosted defending champion Gonzaga Prep and West Valley, which won a nonleague match 2-1 over Deer Park on goals by Lindsay Hood and Krystal McCarthy, hosted Shadle Park. Beginning Wednesday, the teams go Wednesdays and Fridays through Oct. 22.