Quick hits
LOOKING AHEAD
The path to state for the 3A schools wends its way first to Richland this weekend, while the 4A schools move to the Valley.
After Tuesday night’s opening-round games in the regional pitting Greater Spokane League teams with their Mid-Valley League counterparts, the 3A tournament continues tonight with loser-out games at home sites. On the boys’ side, Cheney will host and Clarkston will travel with the chance to meet at Hanford on Friday. The girls include Clarkston host to North Central, and East Valley welcoming Prosser; the winners will meet Friday at Richland. West Valley’s boys have already assured themselves two shots at state.
In the 4A ranks, Tuesday winners assured themselves a regional berth next week and now the four remaining boys and girls team will play for seeding. Tonight’s games hold the carrot of a home first-round regional game for the winners.
Basketball
GSL games
Tonight
4A District 8 playoffs. Boys at Central Valley: Gonzaga Prep vs. University, 5:45 p.m.; Shadle Park vs. Ferris, 7:45. Girls at University: Gonzaga Prep vs. Lewis and Clark, 5:45; Mt. Spokane vs. University, 7:45. 3A GSL/Mid-Valley regional, all loser-out
games at 6 p.m. Boys: West Valley (Yakima) at Cheney; Clarkston at Ellensburg. Girls: Prosser at East Valley; North Central at Clarkston.
Friday
4A District 8 playoffs. Boys at Central Valley: Gonzaga Prep/University loser vs. Shadle Park/Ferris loser, 5:45 p.m., winner third seed to regional, loser fourth; Gonzaga Prep/University winner vs. Shadle Park/Ferris winner, 7:45, winner top seed to regional, loser second. Girls at University: Gonzaga Prep/Lewis and Clark loser vs. Mt. Spokane/University loser, 5:45, winner third seed to regional, loser fourth; Mt. Spokane/University winner vs. Gonzaga Prep/Lewis and Clark winner, 7:45, winner top seed to regional, loser second. 3A GSL/Mid-Valley regional. Boys: West Valley (Yakima)/Cheney winner vs. Clarkston/Ellensburg, 3:30, winner at Hanford High, loser out; Hanford vs. West Valley at Richland High, 5:30, winner No. 1 to state. Girls: Prosser/East Valley winner vs. North Central/Clarkston, 5:45, winner at Hanford High, loser out.
Saturday
3A GSL/Mid-Valley regional. Boys: Second seed to state game at Richland High, teams TBA, 1; Girls: Second seed to state game at Hanford High, teams TBA, 2:45.
LOOKING AROUND
Some final thoughts on Mat Classic XVII before we put the 2005 wrestling season to rest. The State 4A placing field was inordinately young this year, which may serve to explain why University’s senior veterans brought home the state team title. Eight individual titles were by non-seniors, and there were 48 senior placers out of 112, only 22 among the top four. … Class 3A four-time champ Sedro Woolley had two sophomore champions, a junior champ and a freshman finalist and returns two other state placers. … As it turned out in Class 2A, Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls’ six state qualifiers were enough for the school’s fourth team title since 1997. Prior to postseason, coach Scott Jones said that the lack of a regional had, “taken Medical Lake and Lakeside completely out of contention for a championship run. Our dreams have been crushed. They don’t come around that often.” The architect of a state dynasty should have known better. With three finalists among five placers, no dreams prove futile for a program where state titles come around more often than for most. … Region 4 1A/B, which includes all of the area District 7 schools, had five of the top seven state-placing teams, including trophy winners Newport and Liberty Bell. The region produced 11 of the 14 individual winners, including in succession from 103 through 189 pounds. Seven were from District 7, two each by Newport and Colfax, plus one from Republic, Freeman and Liberty.
Basketball now takes center stage, and the season continues for Mt. Spokane’s girls. On Tuesday the Wildcats qualified for their first regional, ending a 15-year run by Central Valley. “We would have been disappointed if we had not,” said coach Jeanne Helfer of her 17-4 team. “We’re guaranteed four more games. It can’t get much harder than it already has been when you look at what they’ve accomplished. They’ve lost only four games in a difficult league and won over a team ranked fifth or sixth at the 3A level. It shows the character of the young ladies.”