Quick hits
There’s little margin for error in Kennewick this weekend when eight 4A volleyball teams compete at regional for three state berths. The odds are little more favorable for the GSL’s 3A teams, although not as good as originally thought.
Last year the four Eastern Regional volleyball teams all reached the State 4A semifinals, finishing first through third and sixth. Mead and Eisenhower finished first and second last season and could be on a collision course for a return. But there’s considerably more weight if either goes into the consolation final, where only the winners advances.
Lewis and Clark, Shadle Park and University, which is making its fourth straight regional appearance, round out the Greater Spokane League field.
Kamiakin, Wenatchee and Richland are the other Big Nine representatives.
Matches at Kennewick High begin Friday night at 7 and continue Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.
U-Hi opens against Eisenhower. LC, which plays Wenatchee, is on the same side of the tournament bracket. Mead plays Richland and Shadle faces Kamiakin on the other side of the double-elimination bracket.
Half of the six-team 3A regional field will advance to state, but earlier information indicated three GSL teams would qualify for the tournament. That proved erroneous. North Central and East Valley are the league’s two representatives this weekend in Selah.
EV’s Knights play West Valley-Yakima, seventh in state last year, at 11 a.m. in a loser-out match, needing two wins to qualify for state.
NC has a bye into double elimination, needing one win in two tries to guarantee a state berth. The Indians will play either Ellensburg or Hanford in their opener.
Selah, fifth in state last year, is the top Mid-Valley League seed.
On to state
Cheney High’s girls swim team posted its best district result last weekend at Ellensburg, finishing second to Pullman. Both schools had swimmers qualify for the State 3A/2A meet in Federal Way, starting Nov. 12.
The six Pullman swimmers who qualified are Christina Duncan, Kylie Shaw, Hanna Connet, Amy Bergley, Jaye Cullen and Kristin DeVleming. The five Cheney swimmers who qualified are Alexa Landreaux, Morgan Landreaux, Krysta Spinarski, Kait Salley and Haley Pitts.
Curlew’s big day
A pair of Curlew football players, sophomore quarterback Austin Mannick and junior wide receiver Bernard Payne, almost made it to the top of the 8-man record books in the Cougars’ 64-48 loss to Inchelium last Friday.
Mannick threw for 485 yards, 2 yards shy of the record of 487 set by Derin Darlington of Pateros in 1987. Those 485 yards came on 13-of-29 passing and included five touchdowns and three interceptions. Mannick also ran for a touchdown.
It was initially reported on Friday that Payne was the beneficiary of all of Mannick’s passes. After reviewing the tape, Curlew head coach Dennis Thompson reported that Payne had nine receptions for 305 yards and four touchdowns, including scores of 43, 65, 96 and 43. The 305 yards are fourth all-time in the B-8 ranks, with LaCrosse-Washtucna’s Derek Henley setting the record of 325 in 1998.