Season starts much the same for all but WV

The 2005 Greater Spokane League football season is in many ways similar, eerily, to last year for Valley teams.

At least last week’s scores had a familiar ring. East Valley, 0-2 prior to its 2004 game with Central Valley, won 28-13, that began a string in which the Knights won six of their final seven league games.

This year the score was 28-7 and just like last year the Knights scored once in the first quarter and twice in the second to lead 21-0 at half.

The difference was that the Bears turned the ball over five times on Friday when last year they were turnover free.

Ryan Campbell‘s 139-yard rushing moved him into fourth among GSL backs. He scored three touchdowns.

Despite the loss, CV would like to continue last year’s trend one more week before things change. Last year the team beat Shadle Park, which went on to qualify for the playoffs while the Bears did not.

Last year University lost its first three games before going on a six-game win streak to win a 4A playoff berth. Its third loss was by 26 points to Mead. This year the Titans (0-3) lost 21-0 to the Panthers and now begin a stretch of winnable games against the same teams as last season.

West Valley, which lost to Lewis and Clark by nearly the same score as last year (24-7 as opposed to 27-7 last year), is the only team for which things have already changed.

The Eagles defeated Cheney early this year and hope good fortune continues at Joe Albi Stadium against Rogers.

Last year WV lost 12-7 to the Pirates and would even their record at 2-2 by reversing the outcome.

Defenses dictated last week’s outcomes, Central Valley managing just 121 yards of total offense, West Valley 107 and University 90 with quarterback Dan Jordan leaving the game with an ankle sprain.

Bears win impact match

It’s been awhile since a volleyball match between district rivals University and Central Valley on Tuesday night held much Greater Spokane League importance.

Neither team had much recent success until U-Hi’s state caliber effort the past three seasons. The Bears’ last winning record was in 1990 and 1996 is the last time they reached the playoffs.

Before the season began, fifth-year CV coach Chad Coupland hoped this year might be different. Turns out he was right.

“I think we have a shot this year of really doing well,” Coupland said at the time. “The kids are excited and think the program is getting in the right position. The club system is starting to play a part.”

The Bears (4-1) find themselves in a four-way tie for second place after beating the Titans (2-3) in a five-game thriller.

All three of CV’s game wins went beyond regulation during the 22-25, 28-26, 21-25, 28-26, 21-19 match. Games typically go to 25 points, with a team needing to win by two. The fifth-game tiebreaker was scheduled for 15 points.

Heather Troyer had 14 kills, Samantha Kern 51 assists and Allison Giusti 23 digs and five kills in the marathon victory.

You’d have to probably go back to 1992, when the Bears and Titans finished as part of a three-way tie for fifth place, or the season before that, when the Bears had finished ahead of the Titans by a match to reach district, for a game between district rivals to carry such weight as Tuesday night’s.

It was one that U-Hi needed to win and one that established CV as a playoff contender.

“Looking at what I’ve got, we’re better as a total group,” said Coupland. “Not one player carries us. The kids are equal in talent and I think that makes us better.”

Five different players have led the team in kills, there have been four different serving leaders, five different digs leaders and two who have been the key blockers so far.

Kayla Reilly has led the team at least once in three different statistical categories, four times in blocks. Setter Kern has averaged 31 assists per match and in one contest recorded 24 digs.

Kristin Telin, a 6-foot-1 middle, and outside hitter Ashley Roberts, both juniors, also have made significant impact in several statistical areas.

U-Hi setter Kara Crisp had 52 assists, Ashlee Valkenaar had 32 digs and Ashlee Lupfer 20 kills for the Titans in Tuesday’s match.

CV is home tonight against Shadle Park (4-1) in another pivotal contest. Also improved this year are West Valley (2-3) and East Valley (1-4).

Despite their record, and indication of how far the Knights have come was Tuesday’s five-game loss to the Highlanders.

Trisha Hiebert had 16 kills, Rachel Bonertz and Pam Eatock 15 digs each, and Bonertz had seven blocks.

Tightly packed

During last Saturday’s Highlander Invitational cross country meet at Shadle Park and the Seaport Invitational in Clarkston, performances by University and West Valley were distinctive.

Just eight seconds separated the top five Titans runners competing in various age-group races at the Highlander.

Junior Billy McElroy, who was 20th, had the group’s fastest time of 13:36. Seniors Aaron Testerman, Ryan Ristau and Michael Pierce finished between 14th and 17th places in 13:40, 13:41 and 13:44 respectively for the 2.5 mile course.

And freshman Anthony Brown placed second in his race at 13:40.

Coach Linda Lanker said that she believed he would have broken the freshman race record of 13:24 had he not taken a wrong turn and run 100 yards extra.

Fastest finisher among Valley girls in the race was EV’s Jo E. Mayer, who was 12th overall in 15:44. Nick Atwood, last year’s junior boys race winner, was bothered by a neck injury and did not compete, but teammate Tyler Thatcher with a 13:23 effort for 16th in the junior race was the fastest Valley boy.

West Valley, a longtime Highlander participant, ran instead in Clarkston, where the boys and girls were both victorious.

Four Eagles boys, seniors Marc Smith and Garrett Hanson, sophomores Richard Keroack and Josh Gardner, finished third-through-sixth in the race. Just five seconds separated them, the quartet finishing between 16:11 and 16:16. And sophomore Joey Hartmaier was 10th overall during the 28-83 triumph over Moscow.

The girls won 51-52 over Moscow, Larsen Agee placing second in 19:27 for three miles. Freshman Krystal Hughes and sophomore Camille Mackey were eighth and 10th.

Golfers fit to be tied

Three Trailhead Ladies Club golfers were involved in a rare three-way tie for A flight low gross honors during last week’s competition.

Joyce Jacobs, Betty Grassl and Dee Elder all finished the nine holes at 47.

Sandi Hatcher shot 50 in B flight and Penny Brace 58 in C. Mary Ann Evans had a no-handicap 63.

Net winners were Deanna Hauser with 32 in A flight, Bobbie Parent with 30 in B and Grace Libby with 31 in C.

She had only one chip-in, though. Marcia Rowley had two.