LC, U-Hi girls face off tonight
Tonight is the night anyone following Greater Spokane League high school basketball has been waiting for: the Lewis and Clark at University girls game featuring unbeaten teams.
But in many ways, to Titan coach Mark Stinson, it’s just another game.
“I’m sure there are some cups of coffee bet (on the outcome),” he said. “In the big scheme of things, it’s not an important game. But it should be fun.”
Stinson’s remarks are based on the fact that both 19-0 teams are already qualified for regionals and there’s a chance that the pair could face each other several more times.
They’ll be expected to meet in next week’s district tournament and perhaps in regionals and state at well.
It will pair Titans Jami and Angie Bjorklund and Tonya Schnibbe against Spokane Stars teammates Briann January and Heather Bowman in their friendly rivalry.
“When we step on the court we’re not really friends anymore until after the game,” Jami said. “I’m excited for the competition.”
“We’re all so competitive, we’ll do what we can to win,” Angie said.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. at U-Hi.
District basketball next
Freeman’s boys and girls completed 18-2 seasons and won the championships of their respective Northeast A Leagues.
Beginning Friday at Mead, the two teams begin their quest for state with district basketball games against the league’s fourth-place teams from Newport.
Last weekend in their season finales, the Scotties boys scored 104 points. Four players were in double figures and the rest almost there. The girls scored 80 in runaway wins over the Grizzlies, also getting double figures scoring from a quartet of players.
The boys last year were a state placer, but the girls missed out after sharing first place when their season ended against Kettle Falls during districts so have incentive.
West Valley’s boys, the Greater Spokane League top seed and second-seeded East Valley girls, both have qualified for regionals and play for 3A regional seeding Friday and Saturday at Mt. Spokane. Top two are in double-elimination.
“I told the team it would be nice to be number one outright,” said EV coach Freddie Rehkow. “If you are No. 3 it’s loser out all the way through and not a situation you want to put yourselves in.”
Valley Christian boys lost a 50-47 heartbreaker to Northwest Christian Tuesday night in the second round of Bi-County League playoffs and still a win away from qualifying for districts.
A strong finish, including reversal of its humbling early-season loss to Liberty, left the Panthers third in league. They opened the league tourney with a 60-52 win over Wilbur-Creston. Four players scored in double figures. Vitaliy Kozubenko scored a total of 39 points in the two playoff games.
State next for wrestlers
Can East Valley or University win their respective state wrestling championships this weekend at Mat Classic XVII?
Both teams have the necessary numbers, EV with a school-record 12 qualifiers and one alternate, U-Hi with 10 wrestlers and two alternates.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Titan coach Don Owen said, “but I feel our chances are good.”
Acknowledging his team is an underdog to Sedro Woolley, Knights coach Craig Hanson said, “We have a lot of first timers, but the kids don’t act like they’re first timers. In their heads they’re going to win this thing.”
East Valley stormed through the daylong Region 4 3A tournament from the get-go, advancing its two fifth-place entrants into the tourney bracket with pigtail victories over the Pacific-9 League’s No. 4 entrant.
From there they sent eight wrestlers into the finals, winning five titles: Joey Plumb, 112 pounds, Brice Parker, 140, Drew Beaudoin, 145, Fred Arnold, 160 and Tyler Jolley, 215. The Knights picked up a pair of thirds as well.
Among the state qualifiers were the coach’s sons, Matt Hanson, who missed last year because of injury, and freshman Clete.
“The kids just came out wrestling hard,” said Hanson. “They had a solid, solid tournament.”
Between them, University and Central Valley qualified 15 of the Greater Spokane League’s 27 4A wrestlers to state.
Eight Titans were regional finalists including champions Brian Owen, 103, Chase Fish, 112, Cory Fish, 119, Nick Zumwalt, 160 and Joey Korn, 189.
“Joey being a regional champion is outstanding,” said Owen. “He’s such a tremendous human being you love seeing a kid like that win.”
Owen said his nephew, Brian, wrestled well at 103 pounds and his son, Tim, was a finalist at 145.
The Titans lost three wrestlers, however, Owen had counted on for state points. One, state sixth-placer Trevor Robb, was beaten in his regional opener and then came up against a tough foe in the state-qualifying consolation match. Another, Mike Malsam, was ousted by CV state qualifier Garrett McCoy.
“When you leave three state qualifiers home, it’s tough,” said Owen.
CV’s youth movement paid dividends and bodes well for next year. Lucas Chesher, who won at 125 pounds, McCoy and Camren Ebat, both third, are juniors. Nick Cambron, third at 103 pounds, is a sophomore.